Conflicting Feelings
by Tima Yami's wife
Summary: Inspired by Gravitation-Band member Katsuya wants 2 things: to make it to the top and find love. But when he meets fellow musician Seto Kaiba, Katsuya finds more mysteries than answers. Kaiba shows conflicting reactions while dealing with personal ghosts
1. Fate is kind and cruel

Chapter 1

Fate is kind and cruel

_Just to tell everyone, don't tell me that this seems like another manga or the characters look familiar. This was made based on a roleplay game my friend and I were doing._

To tourists, London, England, is a place to go for a lovely vacation. There were monuments to visits, tours to take, and restaurants and shops to visit. Unfortunately, the tourist side of London is the only side of London that outsiders hear about. At night, London becomes a different city. The city was owned by those in the entertainment industry and the fans of the industry. Nightclubs lit up and opened their doors for those craving music, booze, and dance. Music clubs hosted concerts for both well-known performers and those who were just starting out. In an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of London, three teenage boys were rehearsing in their band, hoping to join the music industry.

One short teenager had a bass guitar in his hands. He was dressed in an all-white outfit: white expensive pants, a white vest, a white jacket with fur-covered insides, and white shoes. His hair was blond in the front and his natural black in the back. His blond hair was long enough to surround the outlining of his face, which gave him the appearance of a female. His black hair was only a couple inches long and spiked in a way so that they were sticking out in every direction. He, named Tetsuya, was currently tuning his bass guitar to make sure it hit all the proper notes. A few strings were being stubborn but he soon got them under control.

The tallest teenager of the group had an electric guitar in his hands. He looked like a natural born rock star. Like Tetsuya, his hair was naturally black but he added an unusual color in order for him to stand out. The back of his head was covered with the same spike style that Tetsuya sported. The front, however, was long and straight. Half of the hair went down to his jaw line which barely covered his left eyebrow ring and two lip studs while the other half was done to his shoulder and dyed red. He had leather bracelets on both arms and three metal necklaces around his neck to add to his rock and roll style. His outfit consisted of black leather pants and a black vest with blood red insides, giving the aura of someone who was both a rebel and highly respectful. Named Naoki, he was playing a short segment of a song as his guitar was all tuned up.

The final boy did not have an instrument in his hands for his instrument was his voice. His hair was blond with black undertones but was longer than Tetsuya's. He had an outfit that seemed to be the opposite of Tetsuya's. He had on black pants and a black jacket with white designs on it. Over all of it, he wore a black trench coat. To add to his outfit, he had white shoes and a black cane with a silver top. He had only one piercing and that was a ring on his lip. Named Katsuya, he was rocking out to the song in his head.

Tetsuya sighed as another string went out of tune. "I need to get a new guitar."

Naoki nodded in agreement and added, "That's not the only thing this band needs."

Katsuya turned to his guitar player. "What does that mean?"

Naoki gave the singer a look. "Come on, Katsuya. We're only half a band, we have only one song, and that song doesn't even have any music to it."

Katsuya slightly shrugged. "We'll make it…eventually."

Tetsuya scoffed. "Band contests don't know the word 'eventually.' The contest is a month away and we're not even close to ready."

Katsuya turned away from his friends. He hated to admit it but they were right. It was luck that they even met that day six months ago. Katsuya had scrapped together the money for a ticket to his favorite band but was disappointed with how little he could see. Naoki and Tetsuya were near him and they noticed each other. They bonded during the concert when they started dancing to their favorite songs. They even bonded after the concert. Once the encores were over, they went to the bar section of the place and talked about how much they wanted to make music and how different they were compared to what was classified as "normal" society. The next thing they knew, they were in the warehouse months later as the band _Drowning Heaven_, talking about band contests.

Tetsuya set his bass aside and joined the singer. "How are the lyrics coming?"

Katsuya slightly shrugged and pulled out a piece of paper from his pant pocket. "They're the same as before. I can't think of anything to add to them."

Naoki listened in and chuckled. "You misunderstood what I said."

The blond looked at the guitarist. "I did not. You said it was missing something."

"True…I was talking about music. Just lyrics don't make it a song."

Katsuya scowled and looked away. Tetsuya rolled his eyes, for this attitude from Katsuya was not new. "Come on, you two. Let's not get snippy again. Let's get at least a little work done."

Katsuya shook his head and ran his hand through his hair. "No…we can't. There's no point without having a drummer."

Tetsuya had no choice but to agree with that. "But we're looking for a drummer. At least we're doing something."

Naoki stood up and played a chord on his guitar. "Until we find that drummer, let's see what we can do with those lyrics of yours."

Katsuya smirked. Naoki always knew what to say when the going got tough. It was Naoki's idea to start the band and he always had great ideas for the band. He tossed the paper to him and Naoki started to work on the music with Tetsuya on the bass.

---

About an hour later, they had part of the melody thought up. But they knew it was lacking something without a drum set. Nevertheless, they were happy with what they had so far. Naoki and Tetsuya packed up their instruments as Katsuya looked on. "Say guys…you think we got what it takes?"

Tetsuya nodded and Naoki answered, "Duh! Like I keep saying, add a few things here and there and we'll take the world by storm."

Tetsuya agreed. "So lighten up. You're our singer and you need to be on top of your game."

Katsuya smirked. "Don't worry about me. I'm always on top of my game."

With that, they headed out for the night. Naoki and Tetsuya left together since the three friends shared an apartment together. But Katsuya stayed for a moment. He sighed and looked up at the starry night. He wanted _Drowning Heaven_ to be the best band there was. But he didn't know it would be so hard. It wasn't like he didn't have any passion. The band surrounded his life. But he couldn't help thinking that something was missing. The band was lacking something, the song was lacking something…but most of all, he felt that he was lacking something.

Having a hand waved in front of him snapped him out of his trance. Naoki smirked. "You coming, hot shot?"

Katsuya nodded as he took out the lyrics and looked over them. Naoki looked at his friend and got an idea. "You need a woman."

Katsuya blushed deeply at that comment. "Excuse me?!"

Naoki smirked. This reaction wasn't new when the subject was about him having a girl other than his sister Riku. "Come on, man. I can introduce you to one of my many lady friends."

Katsuya shook his head, still blushing. "No way. I don't need a girl. I'm perfectly fine."

Naoki nodded. "Yeah…for now. Every now and then, every guy needs to get laid to relieve some frustrations."

Katsuya rolled his eyes. "This coming from the guy who wants to bed every woman in creation."

Naoki slightly shrugged. It was no secret that he loved women and everything about them. He grinned with pride but turned serious again. "But seriously, dude…you need a woman. It's for your best interest."

Katsuya just blushed as Naoki patted the blond's back. "Just think about it and I'll set you up. Now are you coming?"

The other nodded. "Yeah, I just need to walk around first."

The guitarist smirked. "Just don't take too long…you never know what kind of things lurk around here at night." He then took off before the vocalist could get him.

Katsuya shuddered, for he hated to think about spooky stuff. He also hated the fact that Naoki liked to tease him about his fright. Trying to get the last comment out of his head, he started to walk in the opposite direction as his friends went. It was his special spot, under a tree, that he wanted to spend a few minutes to clear his head. Sitting down, he pulled out his lyrics and looked at them. They spoke of how love songs could have a negative affect on people who were feeling down. He wrote it down one night when he was listening to a love song and feeling very lonely.

He sighed and leaned his head back on the trunk of the tree. "I know what I need…inspiration. But where can I find it?"

As he kept looking up at the night sky, the piece of paper fluttered in the wind. Hearing the soft noise made Katsuya smile softly and close his eyes. Feeling in the mood, he started to softly sing the chorus of his song. At the moment, he did not have the score for the songs but he did not care. Because his eyes were closed, he did not realize that he had an audience until the said audience snatched the paper out of his hand. Katsuya's eyes snapped open and looked up at the person in front of him.

Standing before him was a man he had never seen before. The man was tall and clothed in black from head to toe. He would have blended in with the night if it wasn't for his hands and face. His hair was dark brown and fell down over his eyes. His right wrist, which was holding the piece of paper had a blood tattoo that was bright red even in the dark. He gave off the aura of someone who looked like a movie assassin.

Katsuya watched the stranger very closely. Having grabbed the paper to get the blond's attention, the taller male studied the paper and started to read the lyrics. The blond was hoping for a good reaction. After a minute, though, he hoped for at least a reaction. The taller male did not make a single reaction, even though it was apparent that he was done reading the lyrics. Finally he spoke up with a voice that was deeper than the blond's. "Did you write these?"

Katsuya reacted in surprise at the sound of the other's voice but still answered. "Um…yes."

The brunette's eyebrow twitched. "And what grade are you in?"

The blond tilted his head. "College."

The other scoffed. "If you said elementary or special Ed, I would have gone easy on you. But since you're not…your work is pathetic at best."

Katsuya reacted with absolute shock. The taller male crumbled the paper into a ball and tossed it into Katsuya's face. He then turned around and left with a final comment. "If I were you, I'd get a real job and forget about being in a band. You have absolutely no talent whatsoever."

With that, he disappeared into the night. Katsuya was left sitting under the tree, stunned by what this stranger just said to him. He didn't expect such cruel remarks from someone he never seen before. He remained in stunned silence for a few moments and then came back to reality. He then started to growl; he did not take insults at all. He secretly hoped that the stranger would come back so that they could have a word battle. But, knowing that that would probably never happen, the blond gripped the paper ball and stormed off for home.

---

Naoki was typing on his laptop and Tetsuya was still tuning his bass when Katsuya came in in a huff. Naoki looked up first. "Hey, Katsuya. I think I found someone to join our band."

Katsuya didn't answer and started to make his way to his room. Tetsuya raised his eyebrow. "Um…earth to Katsuya, you're going off course. Come back to Earth."

Katsuya went into his bedroom and closed the door. Naoki and Tetsuya looked at each other in surprise and went to investigate. They opened the door slightly and looked in. Katsuya was at his desk, writing like crazy. His roommates could not think of anything to say to the busy blond and decided to leave him alone for the night.


	2. Why does it bother you?

Chapter 2

"Why does it bother you?"

Naoki and Tetsuya were startled awake early the next morning by Katsuya yelling, "I've got it!"

They got out of bed and dragged themselves to the singer's bedroom, where he was standing on his desk, holding a piece of paper up in the air. Tetsuya nodded to the guitarist and Naoki pushed Katsuya off the desk and onto the bed. "Would you mind not cheering at six o' clock in the morning?"

A little loopy from the landing, Katsuya looked up. "Sorry…but I finally finished the song!"

Tetsuya brightened a little. "About time. What gave you the kick in the ass to get it done?"

Naoki yawned and started to leave. "Tell me when I wake up."

Katsuya looked at the lyrics. "I met someone last night."

Naoki immediately came back. "What's her name?"

Katsuya sat up. "It wasn't a girl, it was a guy."

Both guitarists gave the blond a strange look, for, with their minds in the gutters, they did not think their friend went in that direction. Katsuya immediately blushed, realizing what his friends/roommates were thinking. "Nothing like that!"

Tetsuya sat on the floor to get off his tired legs. "Yeah right. Not even Riku can get you to work and she's your sister."

Naoki laid on the bed with his arms over his head. "So what gives?"

Katsuya shrugged and laid next to the guitarist, folding his arms over his chest. "I don't know…it's just…that guy…saw them."

Naoki smirked. He saw the opportunity to make a joke and he took it. "What did he see, your balls?"

Blushing deeply, the singer grabbed his pillow and smacked the guitarist in the face. "I don't show them off, like you do."

Naoki's eyebrow twitched under the pillow. "Once. I did that once…and besides, she paid me to do it."

Tetsuya rolled his eyes. It was too early for such works of argument like this. "Anyway…what did this guy see?"

Katsuya held up the piece of paper so that he could look at the words. "The lyrics…and he was rude about them."

Starting to feel left out on the floor, Tetsuya got up and laid across the head of the bed. "How so?"

Katsuya scoffed. "He said it was bad for someone if that person was special ed or elementary. As for me…he said 'no talent and get a real job.' I mean, how rude can you get?"

Naoki smacked the pillow he had on the blond's face. "Is that all?"

Katsuya sat up, surprised by what the guitarist said. "What do you mean, is that all? The guy was a total jerk for no reason!"

Tetsuya rolled on his side and supported his head with his right hand. With his other hand, he played with Naoki's hair. It was a habit that the two had, though it was unknown if both participants enjoyed the feelings. The bassist shook his head. "Why does it bother you so much? Who cares what that loser says?"

Katsuya crossed his arms and started to pout. "He didn't have to be so mean."

Naoki shook his head. He showed his disbelief on his face. "If all singers took criticism like you did, there would be no music."

The singer turned and faced his friends. "What are you trying to say?"

Wanting to help put the point across, Tetsuya flatly said, "You're too personal."

The singer sighed and ran his hand through his hair. He almost knew that his friends would have reacted that way. Nonetheless, he still wished that they could have been more supportive. "I guess…but I can't seem to ignore that guy."

Naoki scoffed and went back to sleep. He was done with the talk. Now curious, Tetsuya tilted his head. "Why not?"

Katsuya merely shrugged, trying to figure out the right answer to give. All he could come up with was, "I don't know…I just can't."

Later on in the day, the three band members were lounging around the living room. While they had nothing planned for the day, they tried to keep themselves busy in one way or another. Katsuya was sitting against the wall, trying to figure what to write in another song. At the moment, he was jotting down ideas of different emotions that he could portray. Sitting on the coffee table, Tetsuya had a bored look on his face but strumming his bass because he hated the silence even more than the boredom. Naoki was laying on the couch, his head hanging over the edge. His eyes were closed but he was not asleep for he was the first to break the silence. "This is so lame."

Katsuya looked up from his paper. "Then go on your computer and talk to Lunar."

Naoki shook his head. "Can't. He only comes out at night."

Tetsuya grinned and made a suggestion stemmed from his love of horror movies. "Maybe he's a vampire."

Katsuya shuddered, for he hated creatures of the night. They were frightening to him and even the thought of them could keep him up at night. "Please don't joke about that."

Tetsuya innocently shrugged as thunder rolled outside and rain started to fall. Naoki lifted his head at the sound and groaned in both frustration and from loss of blood from hanging his head. "Oh, great. It's starting to rain and right on the day that she said she was free."

Katsuya shook his head in amusement. "Let me guess. You charmed another girl and now you're going to work your way to her stuff."

Naoki shook his head and sat up on the couch. "Nope…this date isn't for me."

Tetsuya snickered, for he knew what was going on. Katsuya tilted his head to the side. "What's going on, you two?"

Tetsuya set aside his bass guitar and turned in his seat to look at Katsuya. "Naoki told me about the conversation you two had last night."

Katsuya started to nod when he figured it out. His eyes first grew wide and then narrowed to slits at the guitarist. "Naoki, you didn't."

Naoki grinned as a knock at the door sounded. "Better go get it. She's looking forward to seeing you."

Katsuya groaned loudly and went to the door. He opened it and sighed in relief at who he saw. "Thank God it's you, Riku."

The smaller girl entered in, slightly shivering from the cold. She had black hair that reached all the way down to her waist. Her face slightly resembled her brother's but held more attitude. She removed her long trench coat to reveal a Chinese dress with red on top and brown on the skirt. She shook her hair out. "Man, it's really coming down out there."

Naoki was immediately in front of her and took her coat. "That it is but I'm sure you will warm our humble home for us."

Katsuya tensed up as Tetsuya covered his eyes with his hand. Naoki may have flirted with all women but Riku was his favorite. She, however, didn't share the same feelings and she always let him know. She lifted her nose and walked past the guitarist. "Thanks, coat rack."

Tetsuya laughed at her comment as Katsuya rolled his eyes. "Naoki, give up. My sister is never going to fall for you."

Naoki tossed Riku's coat onto the coat rack. "Oh ye of little faith…she will turn." With that, he followed her. "So Riku, what brings you around?"

Riku laid down across the loveseat, revealing her sandal heels. "I was bored after filling out my application so I thought I'd pay my big brother a visit."

Katsuya gave a small smile. Riku was applying for a spot in a group of emerging entertainment writers that would travel around Europe for a month. He did not want her to go but understood that this was the opportunity of a lifetime. "When will you learn if you got in?"

Riku shrugged. "I don't know. Even if I don't make it into this group, I will be on the waiting list for future groups. They'll only contact me if I get accepted. So can we hang out for a while?"

Naoki shook his head. "Sorry, hon." He ducked as Riku threw one of her shoes at him. He then continued his explanation, "Once Katsuya's date gets here, he'll be going."

Katsuya blushed and shook her head. "Naoki, I don't want to go out with any girls you hang out with."

Being in the moment, Naoki pretended to be hurt by what the blond said. "Why, Katsuya…are you saying that I have no taste in women?"

Tetsuya picked up his bass guitar and held it close to his chest. He snickered at Naoki's question. "He means most of the girls you look at are whores."

Naoki threw Riku's sandal at him and he ducked, laughing. Naoki smiled back, as if to agree with the bassist's joke. Just then, another set of knocks sounded at the door. Katsuya groaned and rolled his eyes. "Do I have to?"

Naoki nodded and Tetsuya added, "If you don't, his twenty bucks go down the drain." Naoki quickly covered the bassist's mouth. "He's kidding. Go and have a good time."

Katsuya groaned but put on a smile when he opened the door. In the back of his mind, he twitched, for the girl looked exactly like the kind that Naoki frequently flirted with; blond and busty with a small amount of clothing on. She smiled at the blond male. "You must be Katsuya. I'm Katie."

Katsuya nodded and scratched the back of his neck. "Yes…nice to meet you, Katie."

Katie nodded and took his hand. "Come on, let's go!" With that, she almost literally dragged him away. Riku looked at Naoki. "You seriously gave her twenty dollars to spend time with my brother?"

Tetsuya nodded and removed the guitarist's hand to add, "And a felt-up." Naoki covered his mouth again. "That is not true."

Riku nodded in disbelief. "Uh-huh."

A few hours later, Katsuya and Katie were sitting in a café, having a couple drinks. Katie was rambling on about the movie they just saw and seemed to have looked at the piece of work with a professional eye but Katsuya was not paying attention. He was sucking his straw and nodding every now and then. Katie finally realized that he was not paying and flicked his forehead. He immediately woke up from his trance. "Hey, what was that for?"

Katie crossed her arms and gave him a small glare. "You haven't been listening to a word I've said."

Katsuya took a sip of his drink. "I'm sorry. Look, this date was totally unexpected so…I'm feeling a little weird."

Katie nodded and stretched her neck. "Uh huh. Well, we're here now so let's just enjoy ourselves."

Katsuya turned in his seat. From his sitting position, a sheet of paper was sticking out of his jacket pocket. Katie's curiosity got the best of her and she grabbed it. "What's this?"

Katsuya reacted immediately and tried to reach for it but she held it up high away from him. "I want to see it." She began to read the sheet and Katsuya started to get nervous. That sheet contained the completed song that had the same lyrics that the stranger in the park had insulted. He had stuck the paper into the pocket when he was finished with the song and had forgotten about it. To his surprise, Katie smiled. "I like this."

Katsuya looked at the woman in front of him. "Really?"

She nodded. "It's true; everyone feels this way one time or another. Is this a poem?"

Katsuya shook his head. "It's a song for my band…but I'm thinking of pitching it."

Katie shook her head. "You shouldn't! This is really good. In fact, I can help your band out if you want."

Katsuya did not hear the last sentence she stated because a loud rock song started to play on the overhead speakers. Katie grinned, looking up at the nearest speakers. "I like this song."

Katsuya listened to the song. It was hard rock, borderline of heavy metal. The singer had a good singing voice but there was something else about that voice behind the lyrics. He couldn't put his finger on it, however. "What band is this?"

Katie did not answer for her attention at the moment was looking out the window. Katsuya shook his head with disgust as she smirked. "That bike…he must be nearby!"

Katsuya got curious as to who she was talking about so he looked out the window. Sure enough, there was a motorcycle parked in at the curb. It was black with blue lines on the back. As the two blonds watched the motor bike, the supposed driver came up to the bike and put on his black and blue helmet. Because of the rain, Katsuya did not see the face of the biker…but he saw a flash of red on the right wrist. With seeing the red, Katsuya immediately had a hunch who the rider was and ran out. Katie watched him. "What's gotten into him?"

Katsuya ran out of the café, forgetting his umbrella. He knew what he was about to do was completely crazy but he could not help himself. The motorcycle revved, impatiently waiting to get into the traffic. Once there was a break, both Katsuya and the rider reacted. The rider started to go and Katsuya jumped in front of him. The crowd gasped and screamed in fear as the motorcycle stopped just inches before the blond. The rider growled and said through the helmet, "What's your damage, you retard?"

Katsuya realized his hunch was correct. The rider lifted the helmet visor to reveal the same stranger from the park. After a few seconds, Katsuya realized that everyone else on the road was yelling and honking their horns at him since where he was standing was in the way of oncoming traffic. He did not know what to do and the other could see that. Shaking his head, he lowered his visor. "Get on."

Katsuya nodded and got on the motorcycle. The rider stated, "If you scream, I'm throwing you off." With that, they took off into the rain.


	3. Two New Faces, One New Friend

Chapter 3

Two New Faces, One Friend

Minutes later, Katsuya and the mysterious young man arrived at an apartment complex. The bike pulled into a parking space and was shut off. The brunette got off and took his helmet off. When he turned to the blond, Katsuya noticed that his blue eyes were filled with annoyance. The brunette did not say a word and started to leave. Knowing that he needed to change his wet clothes, Katsuya followed him.

The brunette made his way to the third floor of the apartment complex with the blond following close behind. He did not realize that he was being followed until he got out his keys to his apartment and Katsuya sneezed. The brunette looked at the blond. "Why are you following me?"

Katsuya could not help but shiver. He hoped that the shiver would help convince the other male to let him into the apartment "I'm cold and you're the first person who could help me."

The other numbly blinked in response. "Why should I help you?"

The blond growled. "Because I said so, Biker!"

The brunette now nicknamed Biker scoffed and went in. He started to close the door but Katsuya zipped in at the last second. Biker growled at Katsuya barging in and went into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. Katsuya growled back, but he was growling at the other's rudeness. "Hey, I'm cold and wet out here! Would you mind helping me out?"

There was no answer but the door opened and a few items of clothes were flung out. With the door closed again, Katsuya shook his head. 'What a jerk.' He made sure that that his wet clothes were folded up as best he could and then put on the dry clothes. The white shirt was a little big but the camouflage pants fit. With dry clothes on and wet clothes near the door, the blond looked around to take in his surroundings.

What was most surprising was the fact that the apartment was almost completely bare as if he could not afford furniture but the things that were in it were looked very expensive. Another aspect of the furniture that stood out was that all of the pieces were black. The living room had a black, leather couch, a black loveseat, a small coffee table, and a large TV hanging on the wall. The kitchen had only one thing that did not come with the apartment and that was the black fridge. Near where the blond was standing, there was a shelving unit with two columns and five shelves. Curiosity touching him, Katsuya took a close look at the items on the shelves.

There were a lot of supernatural and horror novels on three of the five sleeves. There were a few recognizable titles but most of them were novels that Katsuya had never heard before. There were no pictures; instead, there were figurines of dragons and other creatures of the night on the fourth shelf. On the top shelf, however, there was something that did not fit the décor at all. It appeared to be a stuffed animal in the shape of a golden retriever. The toy had a red scarf around its neck and looked like it was good for cuddling. Yet it was completely covered in dust, as if it had not been picked up in years. Katsuya felt a little sorry for the toy and started to reach for it when he head an angry voice snap, "Don't touch him!"

The blond reacted with a start and shoved his hand in his pocket. Biker came out of the bathroom, wearing a dry pair of black pants and drying his hair with a blue towel. Katsuya flicked a strand of wet hair out of his eyes. "Do I get a towel or suffer with a head-cold?"

Biker acted like he did not hear the blond, which ticked the smaller male off. Seeing the other's expression, Biker reached back into the bathroom and held up a small hand towel. The blond reached his hand out to take the towel but Biker threw it right at the blond's face, making a loud "smack!" Katsuya's face turned into a sneer. "What was that for?"

Biker stayed silent and brushed past the blond to get to the kitchen. He got a bottle of water out and took a long drink. As Katsuya dried his hair, he decided to break the silence to try and get Biker to speak. "What do you have against me?"

Biker looked at the blond. "Why do you think? You almost killed me with your masochistic ways."

Katsuya growled. "Do I look like the type of guy who would want to hurt himself?"

Biker looked over the blond. "Well, you did when you had your clothes on."

The blond took personal offense to that. "What does that mean? My clothes do not define who I am!"

Biker shook his head. "Whatever, retard."

Katsuya hissed, "My name is not retard! It's Katsuya Jounouchi!"

Biker shrugged. "Jounouchi, retard…same thing." Before the blond could respond, Biker asked, "So what do you want with me? If you didn't want to sue me or hurt yourself, then what did you want?'

Katsuya started to dry his hair, momentarily being quiet so he can concentrate. Biker scoffed and slammed his water bottle. "I asked you a question, mutt!"

Katsuya slapped the towel onto the floor. He could pretend to take most insults but he could not and would not accept being called a dog. "I am not a dog! How dare you call me that! You had no right to do that!"

Biker did not react to the blond's burst of anger. "Well then, answer the question."

Katsuya gained his control and took a deep breath. "Why were you so mean to me that other night?"

Biker raised his eyebrow. "The other night?"

Katsuya nodded and picked up the thrown towel. "Yeah, you were totally rude to me and my lyrics."

Biker took another drink. "What are you talking about?"

"The other night…in the park?"

Biker turned his back to the blond. "Not me." Katsuya opened his mouth to add something else but Biker got the word in first. "So tell me why you're really here, annoying the heck out of me. If you didn't want what was assumed, then what do you want?"

Surprisingly, Katsuya felt a small blush appear on his face. "Well…I…I just…wanted to see you…that's all."

Biker raised his eyebrow, trying to make sense of Katsuya's statement. His head then made a small snap as it straightened; it appeared that something clicked in his mind. "My gods…you give me that crap just because I was honest with your lyrics?"

Katsuya started to nod but then what the brunette said registered in his mind. "What? You just said you didn't remember."

"It's called suddenly remembering, you reject. You know what they say; you can't truly forget something that is either wonderful or horrific. Your lyrics were horrific. Even my neighbor's kids' jumping rope rhymes are better than your song."

Katsuya growled and threw the wet towel at the brunette's face but it was caught before it made its target. The blond then started his rant. "How dare you put me down like that! I have no right to be such a jerk to someone you don't even know! I'll have you know, I have more talent than you have in your small finger! So don't you go telling me that I don't have any talent!"

Biker didn't react. He simply said with a glare on his face, "Are you done stroking yourself? Because it's time for me to give you the truth. You have no talent for writing songs. In fact you're an insult to all writers. Now get out of my home before I literally kick you out." Katsuya stood in disbelief as Biker turned away. As the blond started to head to the door, Biker had one more thing to say. "By the way, the next time you feel like using someone else to hurt yourself, I'd stay away from all motorcycles…because if you get in front of me again, I'll run you over without a second thought."

Katsuya scowled and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

About an hour later, Katsuya was back in his apartment and just finished telling his roommates and his sister about his encounter with Biker. Riku was the fist answer. "So what's his name or is Biker his name?"

Katsuya shrugged and Naoki whacked him upside the head. "How could you let him screw you if you don't know his name?" Whether he meant what he said or was being sarcastic was unknown to everyone but him.

Riku threw her shoe at Naoki, who ducked out of habit, as Katsuya growled, "He did not screw me! I said he screwed my lyrics! Listen closer, you sex fiend!"

Naoki shrugged with a look of attitude on his face as Tetsuya rolled his eyes. "So now that you know that he's a jerk, you'll forget about him, right?"

Before Katsuya could answer, the phone rang and Naoki quickly ran to get it. Riku shook her head. "Must be his latest girlfriend, wanting to know when the next booty time is."

Having heard that, Naoki gave her a glare and continued to talk to the other person on the line. Tetsuya watched the guitarist with a bit of envy. Katsuya caught the bassist's look. "Hey…what's going on?"

Tetsuya shook his head and quickly recovered. "Oh…nothing."

Katsuya and Riku looked at each other. They knew that Tetsuya had a habit of watching Naoki with a special glint in his eye. They could not figure out why he looked at the woman-lover that way and why Naoki did not notice it himself. As they thought about what the look could mean, Naoki hung up the phone. "Guys, we're going out."

Tetsuya looked out the window and the dark, wet weather. "Naoki, it's still raining. No way are we leaving."

Katsuya agreed. "I've already been out there once and I don't want to get wet again."

Riku shook his head and crossed her arms. "Not me. I'm not going out in this rain."

Naoki shook his head. "We guys have to go. Lunar wants to meet us."

Tetsuya tilted his head. "Your internet friend? Why would he want to meet all of us?"

Naoki started to put on his jacket as he explained, "I told him about our band and Lunor sounded interested in joining them."

Katsuya sat up. This Lunar person could become the person that they needed to make the band complete. "Is he a drummer?"

Naoki shook his head. "No, he plays keyboard, but after hearing his voice, I think he would be great for backup vocals."

Katsuya and Tetsuya were obviously not so sure about having this Lunor person join their band. They were not sure if someone Naoki met on the Internet would fit in with their band. Riku did not care one way or another because it did not affect her. Naoki gave his roommates looks, seeing how unmotivated they were. "Come on, guys. Can't we at least go and check it out?"

Riku scoffed. "And what am I supposed to do, just sit here and stare at the wall?"

Smiling sweetly, Naoki went to her and took her hand. "You could wait for me."

Both Tetsuya and Katsuya rolled their eyes as Riku took her hand back. "I'll just go back to my place."

Naoki took a step back so she could have enough room to stood up. "Shall I walk you home?"

Riku shook his head and straightened her dress. "No way. I don't want you to know where I live."

Tetsuya laughed and pulled the guitarist away. "Come on, hot lips. Lunar is waiting."

Riku waved her brother goodbye as the group of boys left the apartment.

They soon arrived at a corner coffee shop. Tetsuya looked around, soaking in the surroundings as Katsuya shifted on his feet. He noticed all the stares they were getting because of how different they looked from everyone else in the place whom society would label "normal." A few workers started to get nervous, as if they thought that the three boys were going to start trouble. Naoki ignored all the stares and looked around, on the lookout for his online friend. Very soon, he pointed to a table in the back. "I think that's Lunar." When the two blonds gave him a look that said "you think?" he shrugged. "He never sent me a picture but he looks like us."

The blond looked at the young man sitting there and immediately nodded in agreement. He had long, black hair that reached down to the middle of his back. He was very pale but had pink lip gloss and purple eye shadow. His left eyebrow was formed in the shape of an arch. However, his outfit was the one thing that made him stand out the most. He had big, black boots that looked heavy to wear. He had a long, black skirt that seemed like a combination of satin and leather and it had a few chains around the middle of the skirt. The shirt was almost completely see through but had a design that was almost like belts. One went down the middle of the shirt and five went across. His right shoulder was covered with a small, black shawl. His left wrist had a black bracelet and his right hand had a black, lace glove. To add to the quirkiness of his outfit, he was fanning himself with a black Japanese fan, despite the cold weather outside. Tetsuya was the first to speak up. "He looks like a vampire."

Katsuya nodded while shuddering. "You neglected to tell us that part."

Naoki shrugged and answered honestly: "I didn't know." Just then, the guy they suspected of being Lunar noticed them. He gestured for them to join him with all of his fingers on his left hand. Naoki sighed. "I guess we're stuck." With that, he led his friends over to the back table. "Lunar?"

He chuckled and answered in a deep voice, "That's just my screen name…gift_to_all_women."

The blonds slowly looked at Naoki, who blushed. "That's my screen name." He cleared his throat. "I'm Naoki. This is Tetsuya and Katsuya."

Lunor chuckled as the three sat in front of him. "How cute…the two blonds look alike and have similar names."

The blonds blushed. They were not expecting such words from the man they just met. Seeing their reactions, Lunar smiled. "I'm just teasing. My name is Toya."

Katsuya nodded his hello. "Naoki tells us that you play the keyboard."

Toya nodded and closed his fan. "That I do. It's a hobby but I would like to play for money."

Tetsuya smirked and started to play with a straw that was lying around on the table. "That's a cool dream."

Naoki nodded in agreement. "We could use a keyboard player."

Katsuya raised his eyebrow. This was a new thing that he did not expect to hear. "We could?"

Naoki nodded. "Come on, Katsuya. It'll make our band more unique."

Seeing the looks on contemplating in Katsuya's eyes, Toya added, "If it helps, I can also sing."

Tetsuya's head lifted up. "That's good. We need back-up vocals."

Katsuya held up his hands, trying to get their attention. "Whoa! What about my say in this?"

All of them looked at him. The three faces appeared to say the same thing; Katsuya should give Toya a chance. Instead of arguing that he needed to be involved in the decision-making about the band, Katsuya's resolve cracked. "We'll give you a test run and we'll go with that."

Toya nodded. "I understand." He looked around and saw a keyboard up on the stage. Getting an idea, he smirked and stood up. "I'll do it now." Before he could be stopped, Toya was up on the stage and playing an unfamiliar melody that was both mesmerizing and haunting. While playing, his body moved to the rhythm of the tune, as if he was becoming one with the song. His eyes were closed and his facial expression was that of calm joy. The three roommates were deeply impressed with both the music and his tone and realized that he was one of the few things they needed for their band. After a few chords, however, the workers pulled him off the stage; nevertheless, he made an impression on everyone in the coffee shop as shown with their applause. He sat back down. "Well…how was that?"

Tetsuya laughed and pointed to the keyboard with his straw. "I say you're in by that stunt you just pulled."

Toya smiled and nodded. "Thank you." He looked at Katsuya, feeling that he needed the blond's approval above al. "Well?"

Katsuya hesitated for a moment. Feeling that his friend was taking too long, Naoki elbowed Katsuya's arm. "Answer him."

Katsuya hesitated for another moment to think it over and he nodded with a smile. "Toya, you're in the band."

Toya smiled. "Thank you, guys…and I must say, it'll be a pleasure to meet all you handsome men."

All three of them blushed deeply as Toya wrote down his address. "Here's where I live so come get me the next time you rehearse."

Katsuya chuckled. "We could always just call you."

Toya shook his head as he stood up. "Oh no…it's more polite and romantic for someone to be picked up." With that, he left, leaving the three speechless. Naoki spoke up first. "Well…what do you think?"

Katsuya scoffed and answered honestly. "He's dark, weird, and original."

Tetsuya nodded. "Definitely what we need."


	4. Finding what you need in odd places

Chapter 4

Finding what you need in odd places

A week had gone by since Toya became a part of _Drowning Heaven_. He did rehearse with them every day for the past week and he was able to compose the keyboard music for their song. With that part of the melody thought up, Naoki and Tetsuya finally thought up their tunes and the song was almost complete. All that was left was a drummer and that was hard to find. Nevertheless, they welcomed Toya into their group and enjoyed his visits to their place, since he lived in his own apartment.

One day, Tetsuya and Naoki were getting ready to go barhopping. Toya was playing around with the melody that had been his head for a while. Katsuya was lying around on the floor, bored out of his mind. Naoki looked down at the singer. "Come on, dude. Get out of the house."

Tetsuya agreed. "Yeah, you'll like going around town."

Toya shook his head. "I shall never understand the fancy of going from bar to bar, getting drunk."

Naoki smirked. "Not surprised to hear that coming from you. You only drink water and clear soda."

Toya slightly shrugged. "I don't want to ruin my voice."

Ignoring the other two, Tetsuya got over Katsuya with each foot on each side of Katsuya's hips. "Come on, dude. You've been lying around the apartment for a while."

Katsuya scoffed. "That's not true. I've been out."

Toya chuckled. "Going out to rehearse doesn't necessarily count."

Katsuya slightly shrugged as he stood up. Tetsuya helped him up as Naoki tossed the singer his jacket. "You're coming and that's that."

Katsuya groaned and put on his jacket. Tetsuya looked at Toya. "You coming too?"

Toya nodded once. "I suppose so…it's better than doing nothing."

Naoki opened the door for all of them and followed suit, closing the door behind him.

At the bar, Naoki was drunk out of his mind and hitting on every girl in the bar. Tetsuya was also drunk and dancing to the music that was playing. Katsuya and Toya were sitting at the bar, ignoring their friends. Toya was eyeing all the cute people in the bar and Katsuya was mindlessly munching pretzels. The blond spoke up, "Seems to me they're the only ones having fun."

Toya laughed and nodded. "It appears that you are correct." He pulled out his fan. "Why have you been cooped up in the apartment? Having problems with your girlfriend?"

The blond shook his head. "Don't have a girlfriend."

"Then what's going on?"

Katsuya sighed and let the pretzel he was currently munching on hang from his lip. "I don't know. I mean, nothing seems to be worth going outside for…besides rehearsal."

"Well, it's unhealthy. You need the fresh air and all that."

Katsuya scoffed. "This coming from the guy who smokes."

The blond said that just as Toya was lighting up. "I only smoke in bars. Leave me alone."

"I thought you didn't want to ruin your voice. Smoking will do that more than drinking will."

Toya inhaled deeply, making the cigarette grow smaller, and slowly exhaled the smoke. "You don't understand. Smoking helps make my voice stay as deep as it is. Drinking will burn my throat and damage my vocal chords."

Katsuya swallowed his pretzel. "I wouldn't know; I don't do either."

Toya smirked as a bunch of girls ran for the door, squealing and screaming. Tetsuya was too busy dancing to notice and Naoki started drinking again because the two girls he was flirting with left with the crowd. The two vocalists watched the commotion, curious as to what was going on. Toya turned to the bartender, "Wonder what's gotten into them."

The bartender continued to clean glasses but answered the long-haired teen. "There's a drum contest a few doors down and I heard the band _Last Resort_ is there to bring support to their drummer."

Toya tilted his head. "_Last Resort_? Never heard of them."

Seeing Toya's cigarette in need of an ashtray, the bartender provided one. "They started about six years ago out of Germany and became almost an overnight success. They're not too bad, I guess. My sister really likes the singer of the band."

Toya crushed his cigarette in the ashtray and turned to talk to Katsuya. To his surprise, the blond was gone. The bartender laughed. "He left when I said 'drum contest.' That one definitely has a lot of energy."

Toya smiled and shook his head in amusement. "That he does." With that, he thanked the bartender, gathered up the two guitarists, who were starting to feel sick from all the alcohol they consumed, and left to find Katsuya.

A few doors down, Katsuya was trying to move his way through the crowd of screaming girls. Their screams were deafening and they were packed tight together. He had to push and shove a few times and got quite a few death glares because of it. Nevertheless, after many pushes and screams in the ears, he finally made it to the front.

On the stage were two drum sets and a performer behind each one. The one on the left looked like a high school junior with his baby face and very short blond hair. He was wearing jeans and a black shirt. He was currently performing a song that the girls were enjoying. Katsuya, on the other hand, was not impressed with his looks or his performing. When the drummer ended, Katsuya thought, 'Amateur' and turned his attention to the other drummer.

The other performer was also a blond but his style was unique. The hair on the back of his head was short and spiky while the hair on the side and front of his head were long and straight. The bangs on his left side were the longest and covered the left side of his face. He was wearing an outfit that was also unique. He had black pants and shiny black shoes that almost looked like tap shoes. He had on a red turtleneck with black stripes running across it and a black jacket over it. The jacket has three chains on either side of the zipper and they were hooked up in a half-moon fashion. Katsuya paid close attention when this drummer started his piece.

The girls immediately recognized the tune he was playing. It was a song from the legendary band _Death Becomes Me_. However, he wasn't just playing the drum piece like the drummer next to him did; this drummer seemed to be playing the entire song. Katsuya and the rest of the crowd were deeply impressed. When his song was done, he got a bigger applause than the first drummer, especially when he got the trophy for the contest.

However, that round of cheering didn't last long. When another boy came out, the cheering got even louder and wilder. This newcomer looked like he belonged with the winning drummer by the way he looked. His hair was black with blond streaks and looked like it reached down to his shoulders. But the odd thing about it was that it was spiked up, as if he stuck his finger in a power socket. He had on silver and black cowboy boots. His pants were black and were held in place with a black belt. His shirt was simple and black. His jacket was black and looked like it was made out of the same material as raincoats are made of. To add to his look, he had on black eyeshadow and his right eyebrow was pierced. His fingernails were painted black and his hands were covered with gloves that had the fingers cut off.

Katsuya sighed and started to leave since he thought that boy came with the winning drummer. However, when he got to the end of the stage, he saw the winner leave the stage alone. Seeing his chance, the singer raced up to him. "Hey! Congratulations."

The drummer looked at the singer, revealing his blue eye. He nodded. "Thank you."

Katsuya looked over the drummer and nodded in approval. "You know…you are just the kind of drummer that my band _Drowning Heaven_ needs."

The drummer tilted his head. "We don't even know each other and you invite me into your band?"

Katsuya laughed. "Oh, that's right! Sorry. I'm Katsuya Jounouchi and you…?"

The drummer smiled. "Kaiyuki…just Kaiyuki."

Just then, the other drummer and the other boy came up to Kaiyuki. The boy who got all the cheers grabbed Kaiyuki by his turtleneck. "How is it that you were able to beat my drummer? This must have been set up!"

Katsuya grabbed the black-haired boy's hand and removed it from Kaiyuki's neck. "Hands off of my drummer."

Kaiyuki sighed. "Don't worry about it, Katsuya. Kyoto has always been a poor loser."

The boy now known as Kyoto growled. "And why shouldn't I? Yin has been in my band from the beginning and he got beat by a rookie!"

As he was saying this, two other boys came up to him and Yin. One of them looked to be a few years older than Yin but that assumption could have been because of Yin's youthful look. This newcomer's hair was shoulder length and brown. He has on black tennis shoes, jeans, and a black shirt. His jacket was made of brown leather. Yin greeted him with a simple, "Hey, Cota."

The last guy looked like a blend between Cota and Kyoto. His hair stood out even more then Kyoto's but it was because his hair was brown dreadlocks. He covered most of his hair with a beanie and a baseball hat but the dreadlocks were out of the back of the hat. He had on black tennis shoes, jeans and a black shirt like Cota. His clothes, however, looked two or three sizes too big so they were extremely baggy on him. He stood next to Kyoto and took his hand. "Don't let it worry you, Kyoto. Just because he won a small contest doesn't mean he's better than Yin."

Kyoto slightly nodded. "That's true, Numora. He doesn't have record deals like we do."

Katsuya tilted his head. "And you guys would be…?"

Three of the guys reacted in surprise while Kyoto growled. "We are the greatest band in the world, _Last Resort_! Everyone knows us, wants to be us, and will do anything to even see us!"

As Katsuya's friends joined him and Kaiyuki, Katsuya scratched the back of his head. "If that's true, then why haven't I heard of you?"

Kyoto grabbed Katsuya's neck and was about to punch him when Naoki kicked him in the stomach, making him fall. His three band members helped him up as Katsuya retorted, "Better watch that temper of yours. You might get in trouble one of these days."

Kyoto just growled and left, the rest of the band following him. Tetsuya shook his head. "Such cowards."

Toya looked at Kaiyuki. "Katsuya…who's this?"

Katsuya smirked. "Well, his name is Kaiyuki…and he could be our drummer."

Kaiyuki thought about it for a minute. "What makes you think I'd be perfect?"

Naoki crossed his arms on top of Tetsuya's head. "One, you look the part. Two, Katsuya's good at spotting talent."

Kaiyuki slowly smiled. "Well…I'll try it out for a few days and give you my answer by then."

Katsuya grinned. "Great. You won't be disappointed."

Later that day, all five of them were back at the main apartment. Tetsuya and Naoki were sprawled out on the floor, waiting to sober up. Toya was showing Kaiyuki the sheet music that he came up with to that everyone could practice the song. Katsuya was flipping through a magazine on the couch. Naoki painfully lifted his head. "Where's Riku?"

Katsuya shrugged. "Probably at her place, filling out more applications."

Kaiyuki smirked. "Besides, would you like someone to see you when you look that bad?"

Naoki lowered his head as Tetsuya snickered. Just then, Riku burst through the door. "Katsuya, turn on your TV."

Katsuya's head popped up from the couch. "What? Why?"

She sat next to him. "Just turn it on the music channel."

Naoki groaned and curled up. "Riku…you stepped on my gut…not good."

Riku ignored him. "Come on, hurry up, Katsuya!"

Katsuya turned on the music channel as his friends joined them. Toya asked, "What's the big hurry?"

Riku brought her knees to her chest, her excitement building. "_Rage Inside_ is releasing a new single and is giving an interview about it!"

Katsuya rolled his eyes. "Riku, I told you I don't want you to listen to that band. They're so negative and dark."

Riku glared at Katsuya. "And _Death Becomes Me_ is better?"

Katsuya could not argue with that as he lowered his head in defeat and his friends laughed. _Death Becomes Me_ was his favorite band and was just as dark as _Rage Inside_, from the snippets of the songs he heard from the latter. As the show started, Riku hushed everyone and turned up the volume.

The screen showed what appeared to be a music video of a rock and roll song. It appeared to be set up in an abandoned warehouse with the band of four guys performing in the center. Two of them had electric guitars. The other two had a bass guitar and a drum set. When the camera got close to the singer, Katsuya thought he looked familiar but couldn't figure out from where. As the video continued, a female announcer began to speak. "Since their first single 'Loving Hate,' _Rage Inside_ has risen up through the music charts to the top. Their concerts have been sold out wherever they go and their self-titled CD has sold over a million copies in Japan alone. Now, after a year of hiatus, _Rage Inside_ is back again with their new single, 'Rage.'"

When she finished speaking, the volume on the music video increased so that the chorus of the song could be heard more clearly. Katsuya's head perked up, for he recognized the song as the song that Katie pointed out in the café. After the chorus was done, the scene changed to a cheery interview room with a blond, female interviewer. The four members of the band were seated in front of her. They were dressed in black from head to toe but their faces were different from each other. Riku pouted with jealously. "What I'd give to be in her shoes."

The interviewer smiled at the camera. "Hello and welcome to _One Band, One Song_, where every week a band comes and performs for our viewers. With their single 'Rage' coming out next week and their new CD coming out next month, _Rage Inside_ has set aside time in their busy schedule to grant us an interview and a live performance of their new song. Now, let's meet the members of the band."

The camera panned in at each member, starting from the left. The guy on far left was dressed the most professional. His black pants were made of a fancy material and his black shirt was a collared shirt, like the shirts that business men wore. He even had on a business jacket with gray vertical stripes. He had blond hair and stubble. His right eyebrow was pierced. Riku squealed in delight as the interviewer introduced him as Andrew Johnson, the drummer.

The guy next to Andrew had on black jeans and a black sweatshirt. His sleeves were rolled up to reveal leather bracelets. He had a buzz cut and a little bit of stubble, but not as much as Andrew. The interviewer introduced him as Brandon Miller, the bassist.

Next was a guy who looked like a punk. He had black pants like the others but his black top was a vest, showing off the numerous tattoos on his arms. Both wrists had leather bracelets. Ears, left eyebrow and lower lip were pierced. He had a short Mohawk for hair and a small goatee. He was introduced as Brad Williams, the guitarist.

The final guy made Katsuya scream in surprise. It was Biker, wearing a numb expression on his face. He was in the same outfit he was in when Katsuya first met him. The interviewer stated that his name was Seto Kaiba and he was the head singer of the band. Katsuya pointed to the screen and tried to say something but was too stunned. As the interview started, Riku smacked her brother upside the head. "What's your problem?"

Katsuya held his head in pain but still answered. "That's him! That's the guy who insulted my lyrics!"

Tetsuya looked at the screen. "Huh. It makes sense now. He was critical because he's in a band himself."

Riku shushed them. "Be quiet! I can't hear them!"

The interviewer turned to singer. "Mr. Kaiba…"

He held up his hand. "Just Kaiba." His tone made it clear that he did not want to be there.

The interviewer nodded. "Very well. Kaiba…it was your original plan to begin the hiatus a year ago, stating that you needed the break. What made you decide to get the band back together?"

Kaiba scoffed and leaned back against his chair. "There are two reasons. The first one is that I took this hiatus to focus on my lyrics. I can't work on tour or while I'm distracted. The second reason is…the music business needs to be rescued from bad bands."

The interviewer was taken aback by the statement as Andrew explained. "Don't mind Kaiba. He thinks that our band is the only good one in the business."

Kaiba glared at him and Andrew just shrugged. Clearing her throat, the interviewer asked, "Everyone says that your lyrics are based on real life. Is this correct?"

For a split second, Kaiba's face softened. As if he saw this, Brandon answered this time. "We wanted to make songs that everyone could relate to. All the other bands talk about the good side of life and no one touches the dark side. We wanted to show people that life isn't always happy."

The interviewer nodded. "That is true. When will the tour begin?"

Kaiba ran his hand through his hair. "It'll start a month after the release of the CD and we're sticking with just Japan for now. That way, we don't have to bother with staying in damn hotels."

The interviewer smiled, ignoring Kaiba's comment on the hotels. "So will you perform for us?"

Kaiba stood up and went to the performing stage with his band following him. Still watching, Riku was impressed. "I can't believe my brother met Seto Kaiba! That is so awesome!"

Kaiyuki shook his head. "I don't know. That guy seems dangerous."

Toya nodded. "I agree. The rage in his eyes looked…real."

Tetsuya turned to look at Katsuya but was surprised to find him gone. Everyone turned just in time to see the blond singer go out the door as _Rage Inside_ started their performance. Still curious about Kaiba, everyone watched the performance of 'Rage.' Andrew, Brandon, and Sean played with great enthusiasm but Kaiba was in a league all on his own. He sang with great anger in his voice and face. He even hit himself a few times. It became clear that Kaiba was singing with all his being and it scared the friends. When Kaiba finished, Tetsuya sighed. "I just hope Katsuya knows what he's doing."


	5. Progress? Maybe

Chapter 5

Progress? …Maybe

At that moment, Katsuya was running down the street, his mind racing. He could not believe that the one person he hated was in a well-known band. That was not the only thing that bothered him; he was madder at himself for listening to _Rage Inside_ with Riku the few times he did and actually liking the songs. He silently screamed in his head as he rounded a corner and crashed into a pole.

Once he picked himself up, he ignored his bloody nose and continued to run to the apartment of Kaiba. He made it there in record time but froze when he got to the door. He finally realized that his nose was bleeding and he quickly looked for a tissue. To his dismay, he couldn't find one so he just covered his nose with his hand and rang the doorbell. When Kaiba didn't come right to the door, the blond started to ring the bell repeatedly. He was getting annoyed with being ignored when the door finally opened and a woman was standing there. "Do you mind, you little punk?"

Katsuya took a step back in surprise. The woman was almost as tall as Kaiba and had long, wavy blond hair. She had on extraordinarily long high-heeled boots that reached up to her thigh. Her purple skirt was so short that it only covered her private area and nothing else. Her strapless shirt looked like a corset that exposed her mid section and wasn't tied very tight as it showed a lot of cleavage. She also had on a purple vest and long, fingerless gloves. Katsuya just stared at the female as she snapped, "Well? What do you want, kid?"

Katsuya tried to find his voice when Kaiba walked up the stairs. His arms were full of groceries and he had on some sunglasses that made him look even more like a biker. When he saw the two blonds in front of him, he groaned in disgust. "Great…the two people I can't stand…here together."

Katsuya growled while she just rolled her eyes and stated, "It's about time you got back. Do you know how long I've been waiting?"

Kaiba ignored her and pushed his way into his apartment. "How did you get inside, slut?"

She growled. "I thought I told you not to call me that!"

Kaiba came back out. "It's what you are." He then turned his attention to Katsuya. "What are you doing here?"

Before Katsuya could answer, the woman asked, "You know this clown?"

Katsuya wanted to answer but Kaiba nodded. "Unfortunately I do. This mutt wanted me to take his virginity and I finally gave in after he kept begging me."

Katsuya blushed deeply as the woman looked at Kaiba. "And I thought he was the pervert, not you." It was obvious that the "he" was not Katsuya.

Katsuya finally found his voice. "Excuse me! Doesn't anyone stop and ask me what's going on?"

She scoffed. "No, we won't."

Kaiba held up his hand, silencing her, and smirked. "Come now…who am I to refuse a fan?"

Katsuya wanted to say something but Kaiba went behind him and wrapped his arms around the blond's lower waist, leaving the singer frozen in shock. Kaiba nuzzled Katsuya's neck, making the blond blush, and Kaiba hissed, "Play along or I'll snap your neck."

Katsuya could tell that Kaiba was telling the truth and stayed as still as possible. The woman lit a cigarette and looked at the two boys. "So, Seto…you mean to tell me that this mangy mutt is more important than glamorous me?"

Kaiba gave her a death glare. "Damn straight. Now go."

The woman gave Kaiba a glare before storming away. Katsuya watched her as Kaiba removed his arms and went into his apartment. The blond snapped out of his trance and stuck his head into the apartment. "What the hell was that? How dare you use me to get rid of your prostitute!"

Kaiba had poured himself a glass of water and almost choked when Katsuya said "prostitute." He set his glass down and looked at the blond. The look on his face was not a welcome one. Katsuya, however, stood his ground and didn't falter. He stared the brunette down with a similar look on his face. The singer wanted the brunette to see exactly what he looked liked. Kaiba finally snapped, "Will you at least close the door?"

Katsuya winced at the brunette's harsh tone. He shook his head and closed the door with a slam. Suddenly, Kaiba threw his glass at him and it shattered very close to the blond's head. Katsuya covered his head from the shrapnel and was shocked at what just happened. "What the hell? You could have killed me!"

Kaiba scowled and turned around. "You can't die from a hit to the front of the head. Only a hit to the top of the spine can do real damage." With that, he massaged the back of his neck and groaned, as if he was in pain. Katsuya thought it was suspicious that his enemy was acting out the very thing he just spoke about. Shaking his head, Kaiba turned back to the blond. "Now what the hell are you doing here, come to show me more crappy lyrics?"

Katsuya growled. "Will you stop talking crap about my music? Just because you're in a band-"

"So you finally figured it out," Kaiba said coldly. "So now you think my insults carry more weight? Just how low can you sink? Now leave before you piss me off even further."

Katsuya shook his head. "You can't make me leave. I'll stay if I want to stay."

Kaiba scowled and ran his hands through his hair. "Whatever. I'm too tired to argue, mutt."

Katsuya growled. "I am not a mutt!"

Kaiba did not react and just throw a balled-up plastic bag and a rag at the blond. "Clean up the glass. I don't want to come home one day and step on a glass shard."

Katsuya scowled but went to work cleaning up the mess on both the floor and on his face. Even if he did not like the brunette, the blond knew better than to wish ill-health on anyone. Kaiba scoffed and started to put his groceries into the cabinets and fridge. With the blood wiped up, Katsuya started to calm down and hummed the tune for his song. Kaiba rolled his eyes. "Did you ignore my advice? You will never make it in the music business."

Katsuya let out a single laugh and looked at Kaiba's back. "And what, your band is the only one who can?"

Kaiba turned around and glared at the singer. "No, retard. My band is the only one who truly deserves all the fame we got. Our music is actually music."

Katsuya stood up and tossed the bag of glass shards into the trash. "All you do is scream and take out your temper in your songs. You think that's music?"

Kaiba took a menacing step forward. "At least my lyrics have meaning while yours are just a few crappy lines of you having an emo episode."

Katsuya could not think of an answer because he knew it was true, since he did write the song one night when he was listening to love songs and recovering from a bad day. Kaiba smirked. "I thought so. Now…what the hell do you want?"

Before Katsuya could answer, his cell phone rang. Groaning in its timing, he opened it and said half-heartedly, "What?"

Naoki spoke on the other end, "What's with the attitude, Mr. Sourpuss?"

Katsuya rolled his eyes as he headed to the living room. Kaiba watched him as the blond flopped on the couch. "If this is about your bragging about your latest girl, I don't want to hear it."

Naoki scoffed. "No, it's something Kaiyuki did. But if you're going to be a jerk about it, maybe I won't tell you."

Katsuya sat up. "What did he do?"

Naoki chuckled. "That's better. Well, when you left to meet your boyfriend—"

Katsuya blushed. "He is not my boyfriend!"

Naoki scoffed. "Yeah, and I'm a natural blond."

"Just tell me what Kaiyuki did."

"Well, after you and Riku left, the rest of us decided to rehearse. On the way over, Kaiyuki mentioned that the winner of the drum contest gets to open for another band."

Katsuya sat up. "Really?"

"So Kaiyuki made a few calls and all of us are the opening act next week."

Katsuya laughed in triumph. "Yes! That's so awesome!"

"Yes…but there's one problem."

Katsuya's face fell. "What is it?"

Naoki inhaled sharply. "Well…remember those jerks you and Kaiyuki had an argument with?"

Katsuya nodded. "Yeah, what about them?" He then realized what his guitarist was getting at. "Oh no…"

Naoki sighed. "Yep…we're the opening act for _Last Resort_."

Katsuya could not speak for a minute. One side of him was still cheering because they were still going to be performing and getting the exposure that _Drowning Heaven_ needed. However, the other side was silently screaming that he would not perform with Kyoto and his band of jerks. Impatient for the answer, Naoki asked, "Are you still there?"

Katsuya nodded. "Yeah, I am. Look…can you give me some time to think it over?"

Naoki sighed. "I guess. The manager of _Last Resort_ wants to hear from us by the end of the day."

Katsuya groaned. "I'll think of an answer by then." He then hung up and threw his phone down onto the cushion. "I can't believe it!"

Rolling his eyes, Kaiba went and sat on the other couch. "What's your problem? Did your boyfriend just dump you?"

Katsuya glared. "Why does everyone think I'm gay? I am not! Besides, why do you care what I was talking about?"

Kaiba did not believe the blond but did not state that. "I care because your temper tantrum could ruin my furniture."

Katsuya pouted. "Well, you would be mad if you were told that you had to open for your mortal enemy."

Kaiba scoffed. "I had no idea that rottenness has enemies."

Katsuya growled. "Well, if you think I'm so bad, why don't you come to the concert? Then we'll see just who is the better band, you or me."

Kaiba shook his head. "There's no contest. Besides, the only reason why I would go would be to listen to your crappy song and get a headache from it." Katsuya scowled as Kaiba smirked. "You know what? Maybe I will go. I always like to look at the competition, if I can even call you that."

Katsuya stood up and headed for the door. Kaiba watched him and sneered. "What's with you, mutt? Admitting defeat and leaving with your tail between your legs?"

Katsuya stopped but did not turn around. "No, I am not…instead, I'm going to prove to you that my band is the best there is. You will know by the excellent reviews that you will read the next day."

Kaiba raised his eyebrow. "So do you want me there or not?"

Katsuya nodded. "Come if you dare. If you do, you will have to bring water to wash down your foot…but I won't cry if you don't show up. If you don't, it would probably be because you have better things to do than shoot down every band you see, like bang your hooker. I hope she gives you an STD!" With that, he stormed out and slammed the door. Kaiba lit up a cigarette and puffed a cloud. "Why would I bang her? For liking me, you sure don't know anything."

At the abandoned warehouse, the four musicians were rehearsing the song when Katsuya burst in. "All right, guys! Let's get cracking!"

Naoki looked at the singer. "Uh…we've been rehearsing for a while."

Katsuya took his place. "Then let's keep rehearsing! We need to show everyone at that concert that we are the best there is!"

Kaiyuki raised his eyebrow. "So…we are going to open for that jerk?"

Katsuya looked at Kaiyuki and nodded in a fast motion. "Of course! We need all the exposure that we can get! Now let's get cracking!"

Toya shook his head in amusement. "I don't know what's got you all worked up…but you're right. We need exposure and we need rehearsal. The concert is only a week away and we need to be on top of our game by then."

Naoki added in a hushed voice, "Yeah and Katsuya needs to impress his lover."

Hearing that statement, Katsuya glared at the guitarist, who gave an innocent shrug. "Don't count on him coming. Besides, who gives a damn? We're going to rock the house!"


	6. The Silver Lining in the Cloud

Chapter 6

The Silver Lining in the Cloud

A week later, _Drowning Heaven_ was waiting backstage for their time in the spotlight. All five of them were wearing their signature outfits. Katsuya was wearing the same outfit that he wore when he first met Kaiba. He chose this outfit for two reasons. The main reason was the outfit was his favorite and he wanted the audience to remember him in that particular outfit. The other reason was that, whenever he saw the outfit, he was reminded of both the song and Kaiba. Currently being extremely nervous, he was fidgeting as he was putting a few finishing touches on his eye makeup.

Kaiyuki was near the singer. The drummer was wearing tight black pants and a tight, black tank top that has four gray lines going across his stomach. To stand out more, he decided to go barefoot so he could feel the foot pedal for the bass drum. He painted his nails black and had on leather bracelets. At the moment, he was pacing and tapping his drumsticks against his chest, trying to get his racing heart under control.

Tetsuya was dressed in white pants and a white jacket made of both leather and satin. Underneath the jacket was a small black shirt with small gray figures all over the shirt. The shirt was small enough to reveal his navel. He had a black choker on with a silver brooch and an extra long silver necklace that was doubled looped around his neck. He was tuning his bass and taking some deep breaths to calm his nerves.

Toya was wearing a long-sleeved, dark purple shirt that was slightly see-through and black pants. Adding to his outfit, he had put on a black vest, a wide, black cummerbund that did not have any ruffles, and his black shawl over his right shoulder. His wrists have his leather bracelets and his right hand had the lace glove. He was going over what the band was going to do during their song with Naoki. Naoki was dressed in black leather pants and a black vest with dark red insides that were revealed by the open folds in the vest. For accessories, he had on a leather belt, black sweatbands on his wrists, and five metal necklaces around his neck. Toya saw the singer's nervousness and gave the blond a little air with his fan. "Don't let the crowd get to you."

Katsuya swallowed hard and sighed deeply. "Too late. They're already cheering for the other band." He stole a peek onto the stage, looking at the crowd. "And we have a full house."

Toya nodded as Katsuya kept looking out into the crowd. Riku and a few of her friends were in the front row, which made the blond feel better. The floor and balcony bar were packed with people, most of them teenage girls. Sneaking a glimpse up to the bar section, he groaned at the sight of Katie, figuring that he would get an earful about leaving her that one day. The girl next to her, however, looked like she was trying to hide, with her hat and sunglasses. Her black hair reached down to her shoulder blades. Her red shirt looked like a corset while her black pants seemed to have many zippers on it. Katsuya squinted his eyes to try to figure out who the other woman was, since her outline seemed familiar to him in some away. Kaiyuki tapped the blond's back with one of the sticks. "What are you looking at?"

Katsuya brought his head back and opened his mouth to answer. However, Kyoto and his gang appeared behind them and Kyoto stated, "He's probably getting cold feet after seeing that we have a full house to see me and my gang."

Naoki glared at Kyoto. "Oh, shove it, electric boy. When those girls hear our song, they'll forget all about you and cheer for us."

Cota scoffed. "You really believe that? You only have one song. Besides, the girls are here to see us, not you guys."

Katsuya shook his head. "Oh really? Which band is going out first? Besides, you know what they say. It only takes one song for a fan to be hooked."

Kyoto scowled. "Just wait. They'll be begging for us when you go out." With that, _Last Resort_ walked away. Kaiyuki shook his head. "Always did have a mouth."

Toya looked at the drummer. "Have you known him for a while?"

"Unfortunately, he and Numora live in the same apartment building as I do."

Katsuya tilted his head. "They live together?" Kaiyuki started to nod when a stagehand came up to them. "You guys are up in two minutes."

Everyone in _Drowning Heaven_ started to feel the pressure of their performance. Toya adjusted his outfit, hooked his over-the-ear microphone over his right ear, and fanned himself. Naoki grabbed his guitar and started to practice his looks that he would give to the girls in the audience. Kaiyuki shook his head to make sure his hair was the right place. Tetsuya brushed off his bass and his outfit. Katsuya got his cane and took a few deep breaths. They knew that this was their first live performance and it was make or break for them.

As soon as the lights went off on the stage, _Drowning Heaven_ went out onto the stage and went to their appropriate places. Kaiyuki and Toya were in the background on higher levels than the rest, with Kaiyuki and his drum set on the right and Toya and his keyboard on the left. Naoki stood to the far left of Kaiyuki, already making eyes with a few girls in the audience. Tetsuya stood in front of Toya and stood still, waiting for the cue. Katsuya stood in front of the microphone stand and took a few breaths. An announcer was heard over the loud speaker, "Ladies and gentlemen, the HeavyMetal Amazon is proud to present the premiere of _Drowning Heaven_!"

The lights went up and the band was illuminated. The whole club screamed in approval, making the five boys onstage both happy that the crowd was looking forward to listening to their music and nervous because they felt the pressure of making sure that they would impress the spectators. Tetsuya and Kaiyuki started to get really nervous. Katsuya, on the other hand, felt in the zone and stepped up to the microphone. "Are you ready to rock, you party amazons?"

Everyone cheered and waved at the group. Katsuya stood straight and got ready to sing. However, he saw something on the baloney that he did not expect to see. Standing next to Katie's friend and swirling an olive in a martini was Kaiba, looking at Katsuya. The blond froze for a minute and stared at his rival, wondering why he decided to come after all. As the cheers died down, Katsuya's friends started to get even more nervous. Kaiba nodded and mouthed, "Make me eat my words."

Katsuya smirked, knowing that he would do that. He nodded to his friends and started to sing their song 'Musical Knife' as Toya played a melody to accompany. Once the first lines were sung, the rest of the band started to play the tune of the song. As the music started, Katsuya decided to improvise and vocalize a few times, making eye contact with the girls in the audience. Once he started singing, his body started to twitch in rhythm of the song, getting into the song. Feeling more and more confident, he started to move even more, giving the audience something to watch.

Tetsuya's nervousness disappeared as soon as the music started. The music had a calming effect on him and he quickly got in the mood. He wanted to dance but he knew from experience that moving too much ruined the quality of the music that he was making with his bass guitar. Nevertheless, he still rocked his head, shoulders, and feet to the beat. His eyes moved from his guitar to the audience. He wanted to show everyone the fire in his eyes for the music.

Toya was the most comfortable performing. He was making swaying movements with his right arm in either a haunting or a tense, sorrowful movement. He enjoyed playing his melodies on his keyboard but he enjoyed singing backup even more. He would never openly admit it but he believed that his voice would help the band get what they wanted. Toya believed that because he knew that his deep voice and Katsuya's alto voice created a unique blend that he saw as unforgettable. With that in mind, Toya continued to play and sing, pulling out all the stops for his small solo in the middle of the song.

Toya may have been the most comfortable on stage but Naoki was having the most fun. Unlike Tetsuya, Naoki could freely move around his area of the stage. He was able to use the entire area that he had around him. His hand moved quickly against the strings of his electric guitar since a majority of the music came from his instrument. All the movements of his body made him sweaty but he ignored it, knowing that he had a job to finish and he also figured that the sweat would make him seem sexier to the girls in the audience. Little did he know that he had also caught the attention from an unlikely person.

Kaiyuki may have been sitting down but he was displaying a lot of energy. His head was moving in a way that made his hair sway in all directions. He knew that his part of the song was minimal and not as noticeable as everyone else but he still determined to make an impression on the audience. He had seen other drummers who only moved when they hit the drums with their drumsticks. He decided to learn from their mistakes and make himself known.

The audience loved their song and was cheering for them during the entire song. Once they were finished, _Drowning Heaven_ got a loud applause with the girls waving and jumping up and down. Peeking out from backstage, Kyoto scowled. From the bar, Kaiba sipped his martini as Katie's friend nodded while looking over her sunglasses at them. "I like them."

Katie looked at her. "You do? You think they got what it takes?"

Kaiba scoffed. "Aya, your ears are too kind. They're horrible."

Aya laughed as the light went down on the stage and _Drowning Heaven_ left the stage. "I know you don't mean that."

Kaiba turned around and leaned his back against the railing. "Want to bet?"

Katie nodded. "Aya's got a point. If you really hated them, you would have left after the first verse."

Kaiba stared at his martini and did not answer. Shaking her head, Aya turned to Katie. "I want to meet them."

Katie nodded. "Follow me." With that, the two women left Kaiba alone. Kaiba scoffed and took a sip of his martini. "Me…like those amateurs? Yeah right."

Backstage, _Drowning Heaven_ was packing up with Kyoto scowling. Kyoto would have tried to attack them if Numora didn't have his arms around the singer's waist. Instead, Kyoto stated, "You guys were horrible."

Toya flipped his hair out of his face. "Were you not paying attention? The crowd loved us."

Numora rolled his eyes. "They were just being nice so that you guys could leave and we could take over."

Kaiyuki murmured, "Why ask for a band that has two people who can't take care of their own hair?"

Kyoto growled and broke away from Numora, bent on beating up Kaiyuki. Wanting to protect his friend, Katsuya got in front of Kaiyuki. Numora held Kyoto back while Kaiyuki held back Katsuya. The two singers glared and growled at each other when they heard Katie yell, "What the hell is going on here?"

Everyone stopped and looked at her. _Last Resort_ pulled back as Yin asked, "Who the hell are you?"

Naoki smiled in a seductive way. "Well, well, well…if it isn't Katie. I thought I would never see you again."

Katie rolled her eyes. "Right. Now first…thanks for the money, Naoki. It came in good hands…even if the date was suddenly cancelled right in the middle." Katsuya blushed as Katie continued. "But today, my friend and I have a proposal for you and your band, Katsuya."

Kyoto shook Numora off of him. "There is no deal that either you or your invisible friend that can make people buy their lame-ass music."

Katsuya growled as Katie shook her head. "Young man, you should really watch what you say. You never know when you might get in trouble with the wrong kind of people."

Kyoto gave her the finger. "Oh really? And who are you, bitch?"

After giving Kyoto the finger back, Katie gave him her business card. "Katie Leiona, recruiter of Cosmopolitan Records and daughter of the CEO. Like I said, you need to watch your mouth."

Kyoto went pale as Cota smacked the singer upside the head. "Now you've done it, you idiot."

Katsuya was surprised as Tetsuya asked, "You want to…?"

Katie nodded. "My friend likes you guys and she's good at spotting talent."

Kyoto gave out a single laugh. "And who is she, Helen Keller?"

Just then, a woman's voice started to sing. It was a beautiful and haunting voice. Everyone backstage immediately recognized the voice and stayed still, listening to the haunting melody. Kyoto felt sick as Katsuya's face lit up. When the singing was over, Aya came out and removed her hat and sunglasses, making everyone gasp loudly in surprise. Aya was the singer to the group _Death Becomes Me_. Kyoto could not believe that a famous singer would even consider Katsuya. He would have had a smart remark but _Last Resort_ was called to the stage. With a final glare to Katsuya, Kyoto left with his friends. Kaiyuki shook his head in surprise. "Wow…hearing a verse from 'Change or Leave'…live and a capella!"

Aya nodded. "Thank you very much."

Katsuya was too stunned to speak since his favorite singer was right in front of him. Naoki stepped forward and asked, "Katie, what were you going to say about your friend and spotting her talent?"

Katie smiled. "Well, why doesn't Aya explain herself?"

Aya nodded and turned to the band. "As my friend might have said, I'm always on the lookout for new talent to be signed onto Katie's company. That's why I go from concert to concert to watch the opening act, seeing if they are good enough. I have to say, your band really impressed me, from your movements to your music to your lyrics. If you don't mind me saying so, the lyrics remind me of my band's songs."

Tetsuya nodded. "Well, _Death Becomes Me_ is our favorite band and an inspiration for us."

Aya smiled. "Thank you." She looked at Katie who nodded. "Guys…how would you like to make a record with Cosmopolitan Records?"

Katsuya's answer was a faint into Kaiyuki's arms. Toya fanned the singer as he laughed. "That's his way of saying yes."


	7. More Questions than Answers

Chapter 7

More Questions than Answers

The next day, Katsuya proudly made his way to Kaiba's apartment. He wanted to thank him for coming. But most of all, he wanted to hear his rival's comments about the performance. Riku and her friend told him that they gave a perfect performance. They also added that they left as soon as Last Resort came on, which made Katsuya beam with pride. He kept thinking about everything that happened at the concert. Beaming with confidence that he finally defeated Kaiba, Katsuya stood in front of Kaiba's door and knocked. To his dismay, the blond that looked like a hooker answered, wearing the same purple outfit she wore when Katsuya first met her. "You again. What do you want?"

Katsuya sighed in disgust. "What are you doing here? Did Kaiba want to bang you again?"

She slapped him across the face. He looked at her with a stunned look as she lit a cigarette. "Don't you ever assume that I would sleep with Seto. He's the cruelest, coldest, most rotten piece of trash on the face of the Earth."

She went back inside and left the door open. Taking that as an invitation, Katsuya followed her, closing the door behind him and rubbing his red cheek. "You didn't have to smack me, you bitch."

She looked at the male blond. "Unless you want my cigarette in your eyeball, call me Mai."

Katsuya quickly covered his eyes protectively. Mai rolled her eyes as she opened the fridge and peeked in, bending over as if to show off her female part. Seeing this, Katsuya looked away, blushing. "Would you mind covering up?"

Coming out with a bottle of beer, Mai closed the fridge with her foot. "What, not interested?"

Katsuya cleared his throat uneasily, wanting to change the subject. "So…where's Kaiba?"

Mai took a sip of the beer. "You came to see him? Man, you're just as queer as he said you were."

"Excuse me! I am not gay!"

Mai rolled her eyes. "Queer as in bizarre…you twit."

Katsuya blushed in embarrassment. Mai smirked and patted his back. "Seto's in his bedroom. He's sleeping off his drunkenness so don't disturb him." She looked and saw that Katsuya was gone. She saw that Kaiba's bedroom door was slightly open. Making the next logical conclusion that Katsuya was inside, she looked in to check on them.

Katsuya stood in front of the door, taking in the sights. The bedroom was even barer than the rest of the apartment. Dark blue curtains were drawn against the window. Against the back wall was a king-sized bed with blue sheets and a single black blanket. Kaiba was lying under the blanket, shirtless and asleep. On the small nightstand to the left of the bed, there was a small desk lamp, a boom box, and a couple bottles of beer. There was a small TV on a nightstand against the opposite wall to the bed. To the blond's surprise, last night's concert was playing on the TV and it was currently on _Drowning Heaven's_ performance. Mai scoffed, alerting Katsuya, and she whispered, "That clip has been playing all night. He has it on repeat so he could see and hear that song all night."

Katsuya's eyes grew wide with surprise. Why would his rival, who claimed to hate the very essence of him, watch the performance? While he was wondering, he sneezed, making Kaiba wake up. The brunette groaned in pain and clutched his head. "Oh gods…never again…" He slowly sat up and saw Katsuya. "Oh great…"

Katsuya sniggered at Kaiba's hangover, making Kaiba throw one of the bottles at him. Mai quickly intervened and caught the bottle. Kaiba scowled. "What the hell are you still doing here?"

Mai dropped the bottle into a trash bin. "I was your driver, remember? Knowing how much you drink, I wasn't going to leave until you were awake."

Kaiba scratched the back of his head. "How much did I drink last night?"

Katsuya spoke up. "Well, you had a martini while we performed."

Mai added, "And three or four beers when we came home. After that, you passed out."

Kaiba groaned and massaged his temple. "That explains the headache."

Mai crossed her arms. "You know, normally I would kick your ass for not showing up last night. I know you never show up for our get-togethers anyway but going to that concert that featured two bands you hate is unacceptable."

That comment about the two bands caught Katsuya's attention. He already knew that Kaiba hated his band but he was surprised to hear that he hated _Last Resort_ as well. Kaiba swung his legs over the edge of the bed, revealing the same pants he wore last night to the concert. "If I had known that the blond jerk was opening for that bastard, I wouldn't have gone at all."

Katsuya felt a little guilty for not telling Kaiba who he was opening for. On the other hand, he was more curious than guilty about why Kaiba hated _Last Resort_. Seeing Kaiba sitting up, Mai finished her beer and tossed it in the trash bin. "Well, I'll be going now." She went over and tried to kiss Kaiba's cheek but he pushed her away. She shrugged. "You will never change, will you?" Kaiba didn't react as Mai started to leave. She stopped next to Katsuya and said, "Watch your back with this guy. You have your work cut out for you." With that, she left.

Katsuya wondered what she meant as the clip started at the beginning again. Kaiba groaned a meek "shut up" and turned off the TV. Katsuya crossed his arms. "What's with your sully attitude this morning?"

Kaiba gave the blond a look. "If you think this is sully, you should see me when I'm sober. Now what the hell do you want?"

Katsuya didn't answer at first. "Can I turn on the light?"

Kaiba winced. "Hell no." He turned on the desk lamp. "Now…why the hell are you here?"

Katsuya scratched the back of his head, suddenly getting nervous for an unknown reason. "Well…I just…wanted to…thank you…for coming last night."

Kaiba stood up sharply. "You mean thank you for coming and screwing up my head!"

Katsuya raised his eyebrow. "Oh, come on…my song couldn't have been that bad."

Kaiba grabbed his pillow and threw it at the blond, who ducked. "The world does not revolve around you, you mutt! You should have told me who you were opening for!"

Katsuya growled. "You never asked! Besides, you said yourself! Had you known who I was opening for, you wouldn't have come!"

Kaiba scowled. "Of course I wouldn't have gone! _Last Resort_ is the last band I would ever want to hear, let alone see!"

"If I would have told you, you still could have gone and left right after I was done!"

Kaiba went forward and gripped the blond's shirt. "Will you stop criticizing me? Does it even matter that I went at all? What the hell else can I do to make you go away and leave me alone?"

Katsuya did not answer and just stared at Kaiba, who glared back. After a minute of staring, both men moved at the same time; their lips attacked each other with passionate, hungry kisses. Their tongues were quickly added in the kisses as both heads moved from side to side. Katsuya was the first to wrap his arms around the brunette's neck and worked his way up to the hair. Kaiba intensified the kiss and forced the blond's shirt to lift up as Kaiba's hands clutched the blond's shoulders. Feeling his shirt starting to be removed, Katsuya went down his knees, expecting Kaiba to follow. To his surprise, Kaiba took a step back, holding the blond's shirt. "What are you doing?"

Katsuya was confused and his face clearly showed it. "Um…doing foreplay?"

Looking as numb as ever, Kaiba threw the blond's shirt in his face and went to his closet. Blushing deep red, Katsuya put on his shirt as his rival picked up a tiny remote and turned on the boom box. The room was filled with the song being sung by two girls in Russian. Katsuya recognized the voices. "Hey…that's ForLo, isn't it?"

From inside the closet, Kaiba scoffed. "How could you know Tina and Miranda? Only a handful of people in this country know about them…since they usually sing in Russian."

Katsuya stood up and smirked. "Are you kidding? I've loved ForLo since they came out 10 years ago. In fact…they're one of my inspirations."

Kaiba came out with a white shirt on. "Don't ever tell me that again. It's an insult to their talent."

Katsuya steamed in his anger as Kaiba put on and buttoned a black shirt. "Now leave me alone. I have a lot of work to do for my next CD."

Katsuya crossed his arms and pouted. "No! You started the passion and so you end it!"

Kaiba gave the blond a dirty look. "I am straight, you pansy! Besides, even if I decided to be interested in men, it wouldn't be with a mangy mutt like you."

Katsuya growled as Kaiba turned away. "Now I mean it. Don't make me chase you away with a broken bottle." Katsuya thought his rival was bluffing until the brunette grabbed a bottle and smashed the end. The blond quickly left the room and closed the door behind him. While trying to calm his racing heart, he heard Kaiba say through the door, "Besides…love doesn't exist…and if it did…it can't exist in this…dark world."

Katsuya's hate for the rival softened. When the music got louder and the sounds of punches rang out, Katsuya sighed and left the apartment.

Once Katsuya got to his apartment, he came face to face with Toya, who asked, "Where have you been?"

Katsuya shrugged, his mind racing of all that happened at Kaiba's place. "Out."

Kaiyuki noticed the look on the singer's face. "What's wrong?"

Katsuya shook his head. "It's nothing." Toya went to the living room as Tetsuya poked his head out from around the corner and saw Katsuya. "There you are! I've been trying to call you for an hour!"

Katsuya reached into his pockets and was surprised to find that his phone wasn't with him. Suddenly a female hand appeared next to Tetsuya with the singer's cell phone in her hand. Katsuya smiled. "Thanks, Riku."

There was a small laugh and Aya poked her head out. "Surprise."

Katsuya's eyes got wide. "Oh my god! What are you doing here? Not that I'm complaining."

Aya smiled. "Katie told me where you guys lived. I had the day off so I wanted to hang out."

Katsuya's heart skipped a beat. He could not believe that the singer of his favorite band wanted to hang out, like they were old friends. From the living room, Naoki asked, "Is he back yet?"

Aya nodded. "Yes, he is." She then turned to Katsuya. "So where have you been? I've been here for about an hour."

Katsuya slightly blushed, remembering the hot kiss that he and his rival shared minutes ago. "Oh…just visiting a rival."

Aya laughed as Kaiyuki and Tetsuya joined their friends in the living room. "Letting him know about the concert?"

Katsuya slightly shrugged. "I didn't have to tell him. He was there with you."

Aya's face immediately fell. "You're talking about Kaiba?" Katsuya nodded and Aya bit her lower lip. "Oh…I see. Let me guess; he was drinking?"

Katsuya nodded. "How did you know?"

Aya shrugged. "I've known him for a while, ever since…ah, never mind. I shouldn't be the one to tell you." She then left for the living room, leaving Katsuya as confused as ever.


	8. Help From Surprising Sources

Chapter 8

Help From Surprising Sources

When Katsuya joined everyone in the living room, he noticed that Tetsuya and Aya were looking over a piece of paper that was covered with writings. The singer sat down, his curiosity growing. "What's that you got there?"

Tetsuya slightly blushed. "Well…I've been dabbling in writing lyrics."

"Really? Is that one of your songs?"

"Actually, it's the only song I have so far."

Aya smiled. "Well, I really like it." Tetsuya smiled softly as Naoki looked at the paper. "'True to Yourself'? What does the song talk about?"

Tetsuya slightly shrugged. "Well, you know how I hate not being seen as an individual, right?" Seeing the rest of the guys nod, the bassist continued. "I wanted to make a song that we can do so that people can accept us for the way we are."

Naoki smiled. "Very nice, my man. We could definitely use this as a song."

Tetsuya blushed, making everyone wonder why he was doing that. Aya looked at the lyrics and thought of something. "I'm not sure if this song is good enough to be made into a single."

Tetsuya raised his eyebrow as Katsuya went on the defense for his friend. "Why not? It sounds like the perfect kind of song that we can use to tell our fans about who we are."

Aya nodded. "That's the point. You don't want to immediately show your fans what you guys are like. It's not a smart choice."

Kaiyuki looked confused. "But that's what _ForLo_ did when they started."

Toya pointed out, "But they had one characteristic that helped them that is impossible for us to do."

Katsuya nodded. "Yeah…they're lesbians and they were open about it. Being as that we're all guys who are straight…" Toya gave him a look, "…four out of five of us are straight, that means we don't have the advantage that they do."

Aya nodded. "I say write another song that will be used as a single. Have it be different from 'Musical Knife' so they can see another side of you."

Toya raised his eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Aya smirked. "Like my two songs 'Shadow Assassins' and 'Love Beyond the Bounds of Time.'" The guys nodded in understanding just as Riku came in. "Hey Katsuya, do you have my—" She froze when she saw Aya sitting with the guys. Her eyes grew wide and she dropped the pile of papers she was carrying. "Is…that…?"

Aya smiled and went up to the younger girl. "Hello. Yes, I am Aya from _Death Becomes Me_. What's your name?"

Riku continued to look shocked as Naoki and Kaiyuki went to the girls. Kaiyuki picked up the papers as Naoki helped the younger girl get her jacket off. "Riku, it is always a pleasure to see you."

Riku ignored him and kept her eyes on Aya. Aya chuckled. "Riku, I believe this young man just spoke to you. Don't you think you should answer him?"

Riku shook her head for both an answer and to clear her head. Naoki smirked as he wrapped his arms around Riku's neck. "She's just shy." Riku bit his arm hard enough for him to get the message, making him let go, and said, "I'm not shy…and don't touch me like that again."

Naoki rolled his eyes as Aya chuckled. Katsuya joined them and asked, "What did you need?"

Riku cleared her throat. "I was cleaning out my room and…I couldn't find…my prized possession."

Kaiyuki stood back up with all the papers in his arms. "What makes you think it's over here?"

Riku smiled as Katsuya blushed. "When Katsuya and I were kids, we used to fight over it all the time. It just makes sense that it would be here."

Katsuya shook his head. "It's not here." Seeing Aya's confused look, the blond explained, "It's a necklace with a rhinestone dog tag on it." He then turned back to Riku. "I haven't seen it in a while…but I'll keep an eye out for it. I promise."

Riku nodded as she headed to the bathroom. Aya smiled at her. "She your sister?" Katsuya nodded and Aya chuckled. "I can tell. You two look alike…and have the same attitude."

Katsuya blushed as Aya scratched the back of her head while looking at the watch on her arm. "Oh, I have to get going. Night and Setsuna want to go over new songs."

Katsuya then remembered what Aya was talking about. "Aya…what kind of song would you recommend we do for a next single?"

Aya was putting on her jacket when she started to think of how to answer that question. "Well, the first thing you have to do is make the first single. When that's done, I'd say wait three to four months before releasing the next single."

Katsuya's eyes got wide. "What? That's way too long!"

Aya thought for a minute and nodded. "I agree. _Death Becomes Me_ were able to wait that long because our first single was released a month after our debut album. In your case…I'd say wait a month and a half between each release."

"We can do that…but we only have two songs and one of them is not good enough for a single, according to you."

"Well then, you better get cracking. For the next single…I'd write a love song."

Katsuya ran his finger over his lip. "A love song…" His thoughts soon made his way back to the kiss that he and Kaiba shared about two hours before. His face grew a bright red and that caught Aya's attention. "Katsuya, you okay?"

Katsuya quickly nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about the song."

Aya was suspicious but decided not to press the issue. With a smile and a wave, she left. Once the door closed, Katsuya gripped his hair. "Oh gods! Why did I have to think about that?"

Riku's voice sounded from behind him. "Think about what?"

Katsuya blushed even deeper and slowly turned around to look at his little sister. Riku opened her mouth to ask again but the blond quickly ran to his room and closed the door. His friends looked at the door as they heard the singer rummage through his room and freak out. Naoki shook his head in amusement. "This is going to be a fun night."

Riku looked at him. "What do you mean?"

Tetsuya was adding a few things to his song. "Whenever he goes in his room and rants like that, he keeps at it all night."

Riku snickered. "That sounds like my brother."

The next morning, Tetsuya and Naoki were awakened from Katsuya's cry of frustration. Tetsuya went to make coffee while Naoki opened the door to Katsuya's room. The singer was banging his head on his desk, which was covered with balls of crumbled paper. The floor had even more papers and eraser shavings. Naoki grimaced. "Rough night?"

Katsuya groaned. "You have no idea."

Naoki chose a paper ball and started to kick it around. "We heard you all night."

Katsuya leaned back in his chair. "Sorry…I just can't think of anything to write."

"What's the rush? We still have to record 'Musical Knife.'"

"I know…but I want to get a lot of songs ready so that, when we release a CD, we're not scrambling for new songs."

Naoki kicked his paper ball up and caught it on his forehead. "If you want, we could all write a song."

Katsuya smiled, feeling some pressure come off his shoulder. "That'd be great…but I need another song to shut him up."

Naoki looked at the blond, catching the paper ball in his hand. "Shut who up?" Katsuya covered his mouth as the guitarist smirked. "Ah…I see now. You want to write a love song for your boyfriend." Katsuya tried to combat the accusation but Naoki interrupted, "If he isn't your boyfriend, why did you scream his name at least 50 times last night? In fact, I believe most of them were you calling out his first name instead of just Kaiba. That says something to me."

Katsuya quickly shook his head. "No way! I don't like him like that! He's a guy!"

Tetsuya came in with a cup of coffee. "Will you stop shouting? It was hard enough listening to you yelling for your lover."

Katsuya pouted. "He is not my boyfriend."

Naoki rolled his eyes. "Hot shot…you got to stop believing in this high moral society crap. Who cares if he's another guy? If you love him, who cares if it's wrong or right?"

Getting an idea, Tetsuya turned on the radio and put a CD in the track. The song 'Resurrection' from _Death Becomes Me_ started to play. Katsuya looked up, hearing the song, and left the room. Tetsuya wanted to go after his friend but Naoki stopped the bassist. "Don't. He finally came to his senses. I just hope Kaiba has the answer he wants."

With 'Resurrection' playing in his head, Katsuya ran all the way to Kaiba's apartment. He still did not understand the feelings that he was experiencing but he knew that Kaiba was the source and the kiss that they shared only fueled the unknown flame that was burning in the blond's chest. With his mind racing, he finally arrived at the apartment building. As he approached the desired apartment, he could hear yells and screams getting louder and louder. Getting scared, he picked up the pace and knocked on the door with a fast pace. He did not stop knocking until Kaiba answered the door. "What?"

Katsuya bolted in to make sure everything was all right. To his surprise, there was no one else in the apartment. He turned to his rival in confusion, who pointed to the television. The younger singer looked and saw that a popular horror movie was currently playing. Katsuya blushed deeply and chuckled in embarrassment. Kaiba rolled his eyes and closed the door. "You imbecile, don't you know the difference between real screams and screams on the television?"

Katsuya raised his eyebrow. "There's a difference?"

Kaiba shook his head. "Never mind. Now what the hell are you doing here? Having you here two days in a row is more than I can handle."

Katsuya cleared his throat as he leaned against the wall. "Well…I came here for some answers."

Kaiba went into the kitchen and got an apple. "I don't owe you any answers. I don't owe you anything."

Katsuya shook his head. "Not true. You owe an explanation for yesterday."

"What happened yesterday?"

Katsuya slid down the wall a little as Kaiba took a bite of the apple. Picking himself up again, Katsuya scratched his head. "Why did you kiss me?"

Kaiba shrugged as he swallowed the bite. "I don't know. I figured your lips were virgins and I would give them a feeling they're always wanted to feel. You should thank me."

Katsuya grew red with anger. "Hey, my lips are not virgins!"

"Not anymore, they're not."

Katsuya blushed. "Well…in that case…can you kiss me again?"

Kaiba choked on his apple. "Gods, are you that desperate? What, you can't find a girlfriend so you come after guys? Not only that, why come after me?"

Katsuya crossed his arms. "Well, you made an impression on me."

Kaiba sighed. "I've heard that before…I've always left the impression on people…that I was a selfish bastard who doesn't deserve to live." Katsuya found his rival's choice of words unusually picked and depressing. He wanted to press the details but Kaiba added, "I'm sick and tired of that impression, even if it's true."

"How do you know?"

Kaiba scoffed. "Come on, idiot. I know myself better than anyone. Anyway, love doesn't exist."

Katsuya was stunned. "How can you say that? Have you ever loved before?"

Kaiba shook his head. "But like I said, no one in their right mind would fall for me." He looked at the blond, who looked away. The realization quickly dawned on Kaiba. "Oh no…no way. You can't be serious."

Katsuya immediately went on the defense. "Serious about what? I didn't say anything."

Kaiba scowled. "It's as clear as the nose on your face…you think you love me. Well, get that fantasy out of your head! Love has never and will never exist! Now get the hell out of my place before I make you a eunuch!"

Hearing all of the negative comments, Katsuya blurted out, "All right, fine! I admit it! I like you! You happy? So stop talking trash to me!"

Kaiba threw the apple at him and it shattered on the wall. "Shut the hell up! How the hell can you love me? You know only four things about me: my name, my place, my career, and the fact that I hate you! There is no way I could ever love you, even if you were the last person on earth! You disgust me in every way and I don't want to see you again." With that, he pushed his rival out of the apartment and slammed the door. Katsuya knocked on the door again but Kaiba ignored him and went back to his movie. When a violent scene came on, he did not react in fright and just said, "I wonder how many stars that guy's seeing. Now if only the other guy would escape…oh well."

Hearing that sentence, Katsuya paused as he started to think. "Escape…freedom…" His mind ran back through the conversation and his own feelings. Getting an idea, the blond singer left. Seeing him leave, Kaiba sighed in relief. "Finally…" Little did Kaiba know that he had helped Katsuya and ultimately his music career.


	9. Heartbroken Misunderstanding

Chapter 9

Heartbroken Misunderstanding

As soon as Katsuya got home, he ignored Tetsuya's questions and Naoki's teases and locked himself in his room. Once alone, he swept the mess of papers off his desk and turned on his _Death Becomes Me_ album to help clear his head. With everything in place, he sat down, got out a piece of paper and a pencil, and started to think. He wanted to make a love song for Kaiba but he did not want the song to be an obvious love confession.

Before he would start working on the song, he knew that he had to think of a title. Whenever he wrote a song, he had to make the title of the song first so that he would use the heading as inspiration for the rest of the song. As he wrote out the title, he whispered, "Freedom." Satisfied with the title, he started to work on the song.

At first, he was able to write the chorus of the song, since it was the easiest part of the song. The chorus spoke of escaping and being free so that he and Kaiba could be together and be able to be themselves without being criticized by society. When he was finished with that section, he started to work on the main body of the song. To his surprise, he could not think of a lot of things he wanted to say. The main part was because he knew next to nothing about the man he was falling for. After a minute, he thought of someone who knew Kaiba at least a little bit as a fan. He got out his cell phone and called his sister. As soon as she answered, he blurted out, "Tell me everything you know about Seto Kaiba."

Riku was a bit stunned. "Why? I thought you didn't like _Rage Inside_."

Katsuya slightly blushed. "Well…when my little sister wants to crush on someone…"

Riku sighed. "That's not true. You just want to know so that you can get close to him, right?" Katsuya did not answer and Riku chuckled. "Thought so. Well, what do you want to know?"

"Just anything you know about him."

Riku sighed. "Well, it's kind of hard, since he never talks about his private life. Whenever an interviewer asks, he gives a death glare and the question would be ignored and forgotten. Even his band members make sure that no one asks about Kaiba's past."

Katsuya scratched his head, thinking. "Why is that?"

"There are a lot of rumors about his past. Some say he's a runaway, others say he just wants to be mysterious. Either way, no one knows a thing. Although…there is something suspicious."

Katsuya perked up. "What's that?"

Riku sighed. "During some songs, such as 'Loving Hate' or 'Hidden Frights,' he would always touch his neck. Everyone thought it was extremely odd."

Katsuya stayed silent for a minute. "Can I borrow your CD?"

"I don't know…usually when you borrow my stuff, I rarely see it again." Katsuya whined, making Riku laugh. "All right, I'll be over there as soon as possible."

Katsuya smiled. "Thanks, little sister." He hung up the phone and sighed.

For the next few days, Katsuya listened to _Rage Inside's_ self-titled CD over and over again. He learned all of the songs by heart and tried to understand the meaning behind the songs. He could tell through how Kaiba was singing that he was full of rage and other negative emotions. He was deeply moved by how real the lyrics were and his want for the vicious singer. His friends, on the other hand, were not so sure; they heard the songs and came to the conclusion that Kaiba was nothing but trouble. While Katsuya was still searching for the right words for the latest song, Naoki leaned against the door frame. "Katsuya…you should forget about him."

Katsuya shook his head. "No way. I can't."

"Hot shot, you have to. He'll give you nothing but pain."

"How do you know?"

"Well, I don't…" Katsuya nodded but Naoki continued. "However, those songs were enough to convince Tetsuya and me that Kaiba is just bad news. We want you to be safe."

"I am safe."

Naoki shook his head. "Look…just stay away from him."

Katsuya growled and stormed out of the room. Naoki grabbed his shoulder but the blond roughly shrugged him off and left. Seeing the event, Tetsuya sighed. "He won't listen to reason, will he?"

Naoki shook his head. "No way. Gods, I don't know what's wrong with him. He's getting obsessive with a dangerous guy who wants nothing to do with him."

Tetsuya smirked, seeing a teasing opportunity. "Like you and Riku."

Naoki growled. "Very funny. Riku isn't dangerous; Kaiba is."

Tetsuya nodded. "You got a point there…or maybe Katsuya sees a side of Kaiba that we don't know about."

Naoki scoffed. "Yeah right…like the dark side of the moon."

Tetsuya pointed out, "Just because we don't see it doesn't mean it doesn't exist."

Naoki scratched the back of his head. "I suppose…but if anything happens to my friend, I'm going to hurt Kaiba so bad, he won't be able to look into the mirror."

Tetsuya just laughed.

Katsuya took a deep breath as he stood in front of Kaiba's door. He fixed his hair and made sure his outfit was straight. Once everything was all right, he knocked on the door. An unknown blond male answered the door. "What's up?"

Katsuya looked at the other blond in surprise. His hair was only long enough to cover the tops of his brown eyes. He had on a white t-shirt and a dark pair of pants. He smiled at the other blond. "How you doing? I'm Kevin."

Katsuya just blinked. "Um…Katsuya." Kevin nodded and moved a little to the side. Katsuya went in, a little uncomfortable. "Uh…where's Kaiba?"

Kevin closed the door. "Oh, Seto stepped out for a minute. He forgot to get me my favorite apple vodka."

Katsuya was surprised at Kevin referred to Kaiba by his first name. "So…who are you?"

Kevin went and laid across the couch. "Just a simple dancer who enjoys adult drinks. What do you drink, soda?"

Katsuya tried to act like an adult to impressive Kevin. "No, I like to drink beer."

Kevin wasn't sure if the statement was true so he decided to test the blond singer. "Oh, really? You like Miller, Corona, or Coors Light?"

Katsuya smirked. "All of them."

Kevin sat up, catching Katsuya in his lie. "That's a load of crap. Every beer drinker just has one type of beer and that's it. They never cross the drinks."

Katsuya blushed. "All right, I don't drink."

"Why not?"

"I'm only 18."

Kevin rolled his eyes. "I've been drinking since I was 15…and loved every minute of it." Katsuya scratched the back of his head as Kevin whined. "Come on, lover. Hurry up."

Katsuya lifted his head. "You waiting for someone?"

Kevin nodded as he rubbed his chest to calm his craves. "Yes…I need my boyfriend. I want to kiss him, run my hand over his muscled chest, and stroked his silky brown hair."

Katsuya felt his heart shatter since he assumed that Kevin was talking about Kaiba. Just then, Kaiba came back with a few bottles of vodka. Kevin grinned and bounced up and down on the couch. "Hooray, you got the stuff!"

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "Will you settle down? I only got it so that you would stop bugging me."

Kevin grinned. "Well, I need my vodka if I'm going to bed with the man of my life."

Katsuya was close to tears when Kaiba finally noticed him. "What the hell are you doing here? Gods, now Kevin and I will have to fight over the vodka."

Kevin playfully pouted. "No way. It's my alcohol and you can't have it." Kaiba gave the blond a sneer as Katsuya stood up. Kevin grabbed his arm. "You don't have to go. I already like you and want to hang out with you."

Kaiba groaned. "For once, you mean hanging out when you're not stripping."

Katsuya looked at Kevin, who explained. "I'm a pole dancer at the HeavyMetal Amazon."

Katsuya was surprised. "I didn't know that place had a strip club."

Kevin shook his head. "The Amazon has three floors. The first floor is for straight people and for concerts. The second floor is for gay men, where I work. The top floor is for lesbians."

Kaiba poured a shot of vodka and tossed it down. He slightly shuddered. "I can't believe you like this stuff." He then looked at Katsuya. "Now go away. I have a lot of things planed today."

Kevin giggled, making Katsuya's heart break once more. He slowly stood up and walked out. Once they were alone again, Kevin pouted. "Do you have to be so mean to him?"

Kaiba shook his head. "Oh shut up. I just wanted him out."

Kevin scoffed. "Yeah right. Thanks to the way you acted, that kid thinks you and I are a couple."

Kaiba spat out the latest shot of vodka. "Oh, that's nasty."

Kevin stood up. "What, you don't want this?"

Kaiba shook his head. "I don't go for guys. Besides, you're already involved with someone else. Speaking of which, when is Seth getting here?"

Kevin shrugged. "He's in the middle of a business meeting. When that's done, he'll come." Kaiba nodded as Kevin asked, "Aren't you going to clear the confusion with Katsuya?"

Kaiba shook his head. "No way. Why should I?"

Kevin pointed out, "If you don't, he might not come back."

Kaiba turned his head to Kevin. "That's fine with me." His face, however, looked sad at the thought of Katsuya never coming by again.


	10. Clear and Foggy Skies

Chapter 10

Clear and Foggy Skies

Naoki was working on his guitar when Katsuya slowly came in. At first, the guitarist did not notice until the singer tripped over the step and squeaked in slight pain. Naoki looked up in surprise. "Katsuya! What are you doing home so early? You shouldn't be done with foreplay, let alone the whole thing!"

Katsuya just looked at his friend with a sad look on his face. Naoki immediately dropped his joking attitude. "Hey man, are you all right?"

Katsuya slowly shook his head and started to drudge his way to his room. Still wanting an answer, his friend stopped in front of him. "Hot shot, talk to me." When Katsuya stayed silent, Naoki shook the blond. "Katsuya, snap out of it! Now what happened?"

Katsuya looked up, remembering the conversation between Katsuya and Kevin. His mind immediately gave him a painful and dirty image of what the two of them could be doing. Tears forming, Katsuya broke away and bolted into his room, slamming the door behind him. Naoki stayed standing, more confused than ever.

For the next few days, Katsuya would only come out of his room to either get something to eat or use the restroom. In both cases, he refused to talk to his friends and would retreat back to his room as soon as he was done with what he was doing. Tetsuya was growing extremely worried while Naoki was simply annoyed with the singer's moping. He finally snapped. "That's it! Tetsuya, get some water! We're going to snap him out of it!"

Tetsuya stared at Katsuya's door. "Do you think that's wise?"

Naoki groaned in frustration. "Look, either you help me or not. Either way, he's getting out of that room."

Tetsuya was about to answer when the front door flew open and Toya and Kaiyuki came in. The bassist gave the guitarist a look of attitude. "Called in reinforcements, did you?"

Naoki scowled. "Well, I can't do this properly on my own."

Toya added, "Plus, he needs to know that we're all here for him."

Tetsuya sighed. "All right. Just get him to the bathroom. I'll get everything prepared."

The friends nodded in understanding. Tetsuya headed to the bathroom while the three others looked at Katsuya's door. Naoki kicked it open and they headed in. Surprisingly, Katsuya was nowhere to be found. Naoki checked the windows to see if the blond escaped while Toya looked in the closet. Kaiyuki, on the other hand, stayed still and looked at the bed. Naoki and Toya continued to search for the singer until they exhausted their options of where to look. Naoki glared at Kaiyuki and sarcastically said "Thanks for the help."

Kaiyuki did not answer and pointed to the bed. Toya looked at the bed and then back at the drummer. "Kaiyuki, Katsuya is not on the bed. If he was, we would have seen him."

Kaiyuki shook his head and kept pointing at the bed. Naoki rolled his eyes; Toya, on the other hand, decided to investigate what his friend was suggesting. He looked under the bed and almost immediately chuckled. Naoki looked and put on a look of attitude.

Katsuya was sleeping under the bed. He was curled up at the head of the bed with a box of tissue next to his head and his earphones in his ears. The floor in front of him was littered with balls of tissue and empty food containers. Toya reached in and looked at the singer's iPod. The song that was currently playing was _Death Becomes Me's_ 'Yearning.' The long haired singer shook his head. "Let's get him out."

Katsuya opened his eyes at the sound of his friend's voice. He whined and reached for his iPod. Toya shook his head and pulled the instrument away, taking the ear phones with him. Naoki then snapped, "Time to get up, hot shot. Tima to face a new day."

Katsuya looked away since he could not roll over in the tight space. "Go away…"

Naoki refused to take no for an answer. He lifted the bed as high as he could and Toya and Kaiyuki pulled the stunned singer out. Katsuya struggled to break free but his friends kept a tight grip on him. Kaiyuki had the legs, Toya held the arms, and Naoki helped by carrying the blond's midsection. With the singer struggling and yelling at them to put him down, the three band members carried him into the bathroom where Tetsuya had the bathtub full of cold water. They tossed Katsuya into the water, where he sat stunned for a moment. Tetsuya smirked. "How's the water?"

Katsuya glared. "What's the big idea?"

Kaiyuki calmly stated, "We were worried about you."

Naoki added, "It's not natural for a dude to lock himself in his room…at least, when he's alone."

Kaiyuki and Toya smacked the guitarist upside the head while Tetsuya kneeled down to the singer. "Talk to me. What's wrong?" Katsuya looked down and the bassist took a guess. "Does it involve Kaiba?" Katsuya's eyes filled with tears. Seeing this, Tetsuya drained the tub and Toya put a towel over the trembling singer. The drummer asked, "Want to tell us what happened?"

Katsuya pulled the towel closer around him and sighed. "I think…Kaiba has a boyfriend."

Toya tilted his head. "What do you mean you think?"

Katsuya looked up. "That guy, Kevin…called Kaiba by his first name."

Tetsuya pointed out, "They could be brothers."

Katsuya sat up. "Kevin talked about his lover, who had muscles and brown hair just like Kaiba!"

Toya added, "He's not the only guy with brown hair and muscles."

Katsuya sighed. "I guess so…"

Naoki scoffed. "So you just assumed that they were lovers because of those two things? That's stupid."

Kaiyuki covered the guitarist's mouth. "You should go over and figure it out." Katsuya opened his mouth to protest but the drummer shook his head. "If you're right, we will help you get over him. If you're wrong, you still have a chance. Right now, you don't know and it's killing you."

Toya agreed. "You can't go on like this. So take a shower, put on a good outfit, and find out, okay?"

Katsuya slowly stood up and nodded. His friend left to give him privacy as the singer looked out the window. "Please let me be wrong."

About an hour later, Katsuya was in a pair of jeans and a white shirt with black horizontal stripes. The black part of his hair was tied back in a ponytail and he had sunglasses on. He was looking at the apartment building where Kaiba resided, 'Yearning' stuck in his head. He knew that he wanted his rival all to himself but was aware that he could not steal him from Kevin if his suspicions were correct. Taking a deep breath, he walked the short stride to the building and up the stairs to the correct floor.

As he got closer to Kaiba's door, he could hear sounds of moans and grunts. The singer bit his lower lip, getting up the nerve, and peeked in the window. What he saw nearly made his eyes bulge out of their sockets.

On the kitchen counter was Kevin, fully dressed. In front of him was another man who had brown hair over his eyes and was dressed in a business suit. They were currently engaged in a very steamy love-making session. They were not aware that they had an audience until their movements knocked over a glass and Kevin turned to catch it. His and Katsuya's eyes met and Katsuya immediately ducked down, red with embarrassment.

The singer tried to escape but the door opened and a fully dressed Kevin peeked out, red but giggling. "Hey there, Katsuya. Come on in." Katsuya did not look up so Kevin pulled him up and into the apartment. "Katsuya…meet Seth."

Still embarrassed by what he saw, Katsuya slowly looked up at the man called Seth. He was fully dressed as well and looked a little annoyed. Up close, he looked of Roman descent with his strong facial features and tall statue. Kevin grinned and hugged his lover's arm. "Don't let his sully attitude scare you. He's really a big teddy bear."

Seth scoffed. "Not to people who interrupt our sessions."

Kevin grinned and reached up to nibble his lover's ear. Seth smiled softly as Katsuya cleared his throat. "So…this is the boyfriend you were talking about the other day."

Seth nodded with pride as Kevin smirked. "I told Seto that he should have cleared up that confusion with you."

Seth added with attitude, "You should have figured it out with how Kaiba treats my puppy."

Katsuya blushed with embarrassment as Kevin shook his head. "That's not fair, lover. Seto treats everyone like crap."

Seth nodded and went to the couch, leading his smiling boyfriend. "That's true."

Curious by that statement, Katsuya joined them and sat on the loveseat since Seth was on the couch and Kevin had his head on the brunette's lap. "Why? Why does Kaiba treat everyone like that?"

Seth shrugged and started to stroke Kevin's hair, making the blond sigh in happiness. "I don't know…hell, no one knows."

Kevin slightly perked up. "Not true. His siblings know part of the story…but they won't even give us that much."

Katsuya tilted his head. "He had more than one sibling?"

Kevin looked up. "Who did you meet, Mai?" The singer nodded as he yawned. Seeing this, Kevin got up and led his friend into Kaiba's bedroom. "Get some sleep." Katsuya wanted to protest but Kevin pushed him onto the bed. "Kaiba won't be back until late tonight…so rest up."

Tired, Katsuya was asleep in no time, breathing in Kaiba's scent from the sheets. Kevin left the room and sat on Seth's lap. "What do you think of him?"

Seth sighed and held his lover. "I think…their relationship is going to be interesting to watch. Painful…but interesting." Kevin nuzzled into Seth's chest and nodded in agreement.


	11. Isn't this what you wanted?

Chapter 11

"Isn't this what you wanted?"

Katsuya woke up hours later to the sound of arguing. He rubbed his eyes and stayed still so that he could hear what the fighting was about. Kaiba yelled, "How the hell did you two queens get in here?"

Seth snapped, "Watch what you say, jerk!"

Kevin tried to be calm. "You left a key under the matt."

Seth chuckled. "Hoping your lover would come back?"

Kaiba hit something, which was evident from the loud bang. "Don't be thinking such things! I'm not like you guys!"

Kevin chuckled. "Oh really? He's in your bedroom."

Katsuya felt his face blush as Kaiba screamed, "WHAT? You let that loser in my house?"

Kevin chuckled. "Well, after what he saw—"

Seth silenced his lover. "Don't bother. I need to get you to work anyway."

Kevin chirped, "Ah, yes. Don't want to be late. Oh and Seto…have this just in case."

Kaiba snapped, "Get out!" The two lovers apparently left because Kevin's laughter grew fainter until the door slamming cut it off. Katsuya wondered whether he should stay sitting on the bed or hide. Suddenly the door flew open and Kaiba looked angry. "Get out!"

Katsuya was at first too startled to move. Kaiba growled, went forward, and yanked the blanket away from the blond. "I said…get out!"

Katsuya yelped and crawled back in fear. Kaiba suddenly changed his attitude. He looked shocked and a bit sad. Panting a little, he sat down on the bed to compose himself. "Please…just leave me."

Katsuya shook his head and touched his rival's shoulder. "Are you all right?"

Kaiba grabbed the blond's hand and quickly turned around. "What the hell do you want from me?"

Katsuya winced at the brunette's firm grip. "Wh-What do you mean?"

Kaiba slightly growled. "I tell you to go away, you keep coming back. I take your lips' virginity, you beg for more. I tell you the harsh truth about your song; you make me listen to it live. What more do you want? What do I have to do to make you go away?"

Katsuya did not know what to say. He wanted a lot of things from his rival but he did not know what to say at the moment. Finally he squeaked, "Can you…kiss me…again?"

Kaiba rolled his eyes; however, he did comply and kiss the blond. Katsuya melted into the brunette's touch and let his hands sneak their way up his rival's arms. Feeling this, Kaiba let his arm go up the other singer's shirt and gave him a firm push onto the bed. Katsuya blushed in surprise. "What are you doing?"

Kaiba smirked. "Don't tell me you are satisfied with only a kiss."

Katsuya tried to get up but Kaiba quickly got over him. The blond protested, "Get off me! Please!"

Kaiba paused but still stayed over the blond. "Isn't this what you wanted…to go to bed with me?"

Katsuya blushed as he looked up. His breath hitched as his rival lifted his shirt. "After all…people say they love me…when they really want bragging rights."

The smaller singer shook his head, still blushed deeply. "No…that's not…I don't…"

Kaiba smirked a creepy smirk. "Oh? Then what is it you want?"

Before he realized what he was doing, Katsuya swallowed and asked "Do you love me?"

Kaiba took out the blond's rubber band. "I already told you…love doesn't exist."

Katsuya blinked. "Then why…?"

Kaiba sat up and opened his shirt. "If it makes you go away…"

Katsuya sat up, only to be pushed back down. The blond started to struggled. "Wait…please don't…"

Kaiba nuzzled the other's neck. "I swore to give my fans what they want…both on and off the stage."

Kaiba kept teasing as Katsuya continued to try to get away. There was a part of the small male that liked the idea of letting his rival take him but he knew that it would not be right because Kaiba was only doing this to try to get rid of him. After a minute that seemed like an eternity, he pushed as hard as he could on the brunette's chest. That helped Kaiba get the message, as he rolled off the bed and lit a cigarette as if nothing happened. "You didn't have to push me."

Katsuya pulled down his shirt. "Yes, I did!"

The brunette took a puff. "All you had to do was ask to stay."

Katsuya sat up. "You wouldn't have stopped even if I pleaded, you rapist!"

Kaiba froze at being called such a negative name. His head then slowly turned to the other, looking furious. "What…did you call me?"

Katsuya became frightened at the death look his rival was giving him. He scooted to the very edge of the bed as Kaiba crushed the cigarette in his hand. "Did you call me…one of those things?"

Before the blond could either deny or acknowledge, Kaiba was on Katsuya's back with a dagger to his throat. "Take that back, you bitch! You take that back this instant!"

Katsuya wanted to get away but was too scared to even breathe. He could feel the cold blade press gently against his skin. Kaiba hissed in his ear, "Every second you don't take it back, I press it in."

He pressed it in a little and Katsuya panicked. "I take it back! I take it back! Please don't kill me!"

Kaiba immediately pulled the dagger away and got up. "Now…was that so bad?"

Katsuya bolted for the ground and stood up, shivering in fear and relief. "What the hell is your problem? You could have killed me!"

Kaiba growled, "If I wanted to kill you, you should be dead already!"

"Why would you do that? I did nothing to deserve that!"

Kaiba shot up and glared at the blond. "You called me a rapist! That is punishable by death!"

"Just because I said something when I was mad? You need professional help!"

"Shut the hell up! I was fine until you came around!"

That caught Katsuya's attention. "What does that mean?"

Kaiba pushed the blond up against the wall and hissed, "I had a routine life until I met you! You screwed everything up!"

"If you want me to leave, then just say so!"

"I do! You just don't get it through your head!"

Katsuya's features softened as Kaiba panted to catch his breath. Seeing his rival's anger made the blond scared…but he could not find it in him to run away for good. "I'm sorry…for calling you that."

Kaiba paused for a moment before nodding. "Apology accepted." He tried to walk away but Katsuya touched his hand, making him stop. 'What is it?"

Katsuya did not answer at first and kept looking at his rival's face, searching for something. Kaiba took his hand back. "Thanks a lot. Now I need a drink."

"May I join you?"

Kaiba put on a look of attitude. "No way, kid."

Katsuya pouted. "Why the hell not?"

Kaiba scoffed. "Where I go had adult drinks only. You wouldn't last five minutes on one of those drinks."

Katsuya snorted as the brunette buttoned up his shirt. "Now go home. If you still feel horny, introduce your hand to your—"

Katsuya blushed deeply. "Hey! Don't even go there!"

Kaiba gave the blond a blank stare as a loud knock sounded at the door. A loud voice said, 'What the hell is taking so long?"

Kaiba rolled his eyes and called out, "It's open!"

Katsuya peeked out of the room to see who was coming in. He recognized the other members of _Rage Inside_ from the interview he saw. Andrew went to the fridge with Brandon close behind. Sean was standing by the door with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. "We've been waiting for a while. Are we going or what?"

Kaiba went into the kitchen and pulled out Andrew, who had a water bottle in his mouth. "Ever heard of asking before taking?"

Before Kaiba could snatch the drink back, Andrew got out of the singer's grip and hid behind the couch. Katsuya laughed and Andrew peeked out. "Hey, who's the blond?"

Brandon smirked. "You mean besides you?" Andrew rolled his eyes but nodded. Still smirking, Brandon looked at Katsuya. "So what's the name?"

Katsuya nodded his hello. "It's Katsuya and I will be joining you guys this evening."

Sean raised his eyebrow. "You drink?"

Katsuya shook his head. "No but I want to spend time with Kaiba."

Kaiba growled as Sean and Brandon looked at each other with slight worry. Andrew, on the other hand, simply said, "Then meet us in front of the HeavyMetal Amazon in 45."

Kaiba took a swing at the drummer as Katsuya nodded and made his escape. The brunette snapped, "What were you thinking, inviting that dog?"

Andrew shrugged. "I figured he'd be fun to hang with…and he might do you some good."

Kaiba scoffed. "Give me a break."

Sean looked at the singer. "Have you told him?"

Kaiba shook his head as his features softened. "No…and I intend to keep it that way, no matter what happens between us." His band members silently and solemnly agreed.


	12. The True Side of the HeavyMetal Amazon

Chapter 12

The True Side of the HeavyMetal Amazon

As soon as Katsuya entered his apartment, he was met by Tetsuya and Naoki. Tetsuya looked a little worried while Naoki looked at the blond with attitude and disapproval. The singer blinked at them. "What?"

Tetsuya tossed his friend a bottle of water. "What did you find out?"

Katsuya remembered the scene that he accidentally looked in on between Kevin and Seth and blushed deeply. He took a drink of water before he answered. "Well…they're not lovers. Kevin was talking about another guy."

Naoki crossed his arms. "So what took you so long?"

Katsuya took off his jacket as he shrugged. "I took a nap…and woke up to find Seto there."

Tetsuya was surprised. "What did you say?"

Katsuya headed to his room. "What do you mean?"

Tetsuya scoffed. "You called Kaiba by his first name."

Katsuya looked at them as a small smile broke out on his face. "So I did…so I did." With that, he let out a small giggle and went into his room, closing the door behind him.

Naoki groaned. "Great…just great."

Tetsuya looked at the guitarist. "What's wrong, man?"

Naoki leaned against the wall. "I don't like this…what's going on with Katsuya and Kaiba."

"Why not?"

"I don't know…Kaiba just doesn't seem like good news. He seems like a jerk."

Tetsuya leaned against the opposite wall, facing his friend. "You shouldn't judge a book by his cover. I know a lot of people who think you're a jerk because of how you look."

Naoki looked up. "Really? I didn't know that."

Tetsuya nodded. "Exactly. Besides, Katsuya doesn't seem to be really hurt by Kaiba."

Naoki slightly nodded. "I guess…"

"So I say we should let Katsuya do this."

"But I will not hold back if Kaiba hurts him in anyway."

Tetsuya nodded. "I hear you there."

Naoki nodded as Katsuya walked out of his room wearing a new outfit. He had on a white tank-top that was covered with glitters. His pants was made of white leather and held in place with a black belt. On his feet, he had on his favorite pair of white dancing shoes. Tetsuya whistled. "Going out on a date?"

Katsuya blushed. "Well…his band invited me to hang with them at the HeavyMetal Amazon…and I need to get going."

Tetsuya nodded and went to his room. Katsuya was reaching for the door when Naoki spoke up. "Hey, hot shot…just be careful, okay?"

Katsuya looked back. "Be careful of what?"

Naoki shrugged. "Look, I'm going to have to get used to this…but watch your back. If Kaiba hurts you in any way…"

Katsuya used all his will power to not rub his neck, remembering his brush with Kaiba's anger. Instead, he nodded. "I'll keep that in mind. See you later." The blond quickly left before his friend could say anything else. He stayed still for a minute, thinking about his encounter with Kaiba's seemingly dangerous anger and Naoki's concern. He considered if he should even go to the HeavyMetal Amazon with _Rage Inside_ that night. Shaking his head, he remembered his feelings for his rival and left.

A while later, Katsuya stood across the street from the nightclub. There were two lines waiting outside the door. One line was composed entirely of men while the other was a line full of women. The blond was extremely nervous about joining the men, remembering what Kevin told him about the different floors of the club. As he was debating about what he should do, he heard a familiar voice behind him. "Hey, babe. Want to hook up?"

Katsuya immediately turned around, insulted by the fact that one of his enemies thought the blond was a girl. Sure enough, all four members of _Last Resort_ were sitting at a table of a sidewalk café. Cota and Numora, both dressed in jeans and a white shirt with Numora's outfit being much bigger and his traditional hat and bandanna, burst out laughing as Yin blushed deeply and covered his face with a newspaper and his black shirt, humiliated with his mistake. Kyoto, dressed in tight jeans, a black rocker shirt, and a black lace glove on his left hand and an open leather glove on his right, just sipped a glass of water. "Don't bother, Yin. That blond will just sully you."

Katsuya growled more viciously. "Get over here and say that to my face, you transvestite!"

Kyoto did not show anger and calmly sipped his drink again. "You shouldn't talk about yourself when you're insulting someone else."

Katsuya stormed over with the intention of punching Kyoto's lights out. He was almost over to the wild-looking singer when Brandon appeared next to the blond. "There you are! We've been looking for you."

Numora smirked and leaned forward on the table. "Well, well, well…if it isn't Brandon from _Rage Inside_."

Brandon gave the boy with dreadlocks a small glare while Kaiba came up. "Brandon, I told you to wait in line for…" The brunette froze when his eyes locked on with Kyoto. The taller singer growled and his hands balled up into fists. "You…"

Kyoto smirked a devious smirk. "Seto Kawasaki…long time no see."

Katsuya looked at his love interest with confusion. The name that Kyoto referred to Kaiba was unexpected. Kaiba growled. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Kyoto stood up and went to the fence that separated him from Kaiba. "I don't recall claiming territory the last time we saw each other."

Kaiba grabbed the other singer's shirt and glared into his eyes. "Leave now before I rip your head off!"

Brandon pulled Kaiba away. "Come on, man. He's not worth it."

Kaiba growled as Kyoto chuckled. "You haven't changed, have you?"

Kaiba just took a swipe at his nemesis and stormed off to the club. Brandon led Katsuya away, who was still thinking about the unusual last name that Kyoto called the brunette. He wanted to ask either him or Brandon but Kyoto called out to Kaiba first. "I have to say…you haven't changed at all!"

Growling viciously, Kaiba grabbed a rock from the ground and threw it at his enemy, who merely ducked while laughing. With a final death glare, the brunette stormed into the nightclub. Katsuya immediately went after the singer, racing in before the bouncer saw him. Once inside, however, the blond could not find a familiar face. The floor in front of him was packed tight with dancing teenagers of both genders. The place reeked of sweat and alcohol. In the corner, a DJ was having fun with various discs, playing dance music and making the discs scratch to repeat the best segments in the song. There were a few teens leaning against the wall, making out with their girlfriend of boyfriend. Katsuya started to get nervous when he heard Andrew call out to him from his left. He looked over and saw the three members of _Rage Inside_ sitting at the bar with other teenagers. The blond rushed over to them and quickly asked, "Where's Seto?"

Andrew stuck out his lower lip in a pout. "What, you don't want to hang out with us?"

Sean smacked the drummer upside the head as Brandon pointed to the back. "Kaiba's on the second floor. Just take the elevator up."

Katsuya nodded and started to make his way over to the back of the nightclub. Andrew sniffed his drink and watched the blond singer. "Brandon, you neglected to tell him about the different elevators."

Brandon smirked. "Oh, did I?"

Andrew and Sean just rolled their eyes at the bassist's odd humor.

Over on the other side of the club, Katsuya found the two elevators. Thinking nothing of it, he went into one and leaned against the wall, sighing. His mind was racing at top speed and it was making him have a headache. The brief argument between Kaiba and Kyoto ran over and over in his mind. Besides Kyoto referring to the brunette as "Seto Kawasaki," the looks on each other's faces bothered the blond. Kaiba looked like rage incarnate while Kyoto…he looked smug and almost amused at the brunette's anger. Katsuya was now certain that the two singers had some sort of history together but he could not figure out what it could be. Before his thoughts could take him any further, however, the elevator doors opened and he stepped out.

To his surprise, he realized that he was on the wrong floor. This floor was colored a beautiful shade of purple from the carpet to the ceiling to the bar. The floor was not as crowded as the first floor but there was one major difference with this floor…all the people were women, dressed either in suits or summer dresses. They were all milling around either at the bar or against the wall. A few women was engaging in romantic activities ranging from innocent like hand holding to exotic like French kissing. The song that was currently playing was a remix of _ForLo_'s song 'Forbidden Love.' Katsuya felt very uncomfortable and wanted to escape back to the elevator but the doors were already closed and the elevator was at the first floor. He had no where to go.

Looking around the floor, the blond realized that his presence was attracting a lot of eyes, most of which were not too friendly. Chuckling nervously, he started to feverishly push the call button for the elevator. "Sorry…for dropping in. I'll just…be going."

Still pressing the button, the singer noticed a young woman sitting at the bar. She had a slight tan and it reflected well off her short black hair. Her outfit was also different from the other women. She had on a Catholic school girl outfit that consisted of a long sleeved, buttoned up shirt with a purple plaid tie and skirt. On her feet were tight white socks and heel boots. Katsuya's eyes grew wide, for he knew instantly who she was. "Tina! Tina from _ForLo_!"

Katsuya had managed to grab the attention of everyone in the bar but the girl, who was in fact Tina, smiled and acknowledged him with a wave. She then got up and went over to the star-struck man. "Nice to meet a fan…from the opposite gender."

Katsuya slightly blushed but nodded. "Definitely! I've been a fan of you and Miranda since I was a kid! I have all your singles and CDs. It's an honor to finally meet you!"

Tina smiled. "Don't just tell me. Tell both of us." With that, she whistled at a girl in the left corner, wearing the same outfit as Tina was. The only difference was that this new girl has shoulder length curly hair in a rich shade of orange. She turned around and went to Tina, wrapping her arms around her partner's waist and resting her head on the other's shoulder. Tina turned to the blond. "I trust you recognize Miranda's face."

Katsuya nodded, his heart racing. "Wow…yeah. Man, I don't know what to say."

Miranda spoke up. "What's your name?"

The blond blushed. "Oh gods, I'm sorry. The name's Katsuya Jounouchi."

Tina reacted to the name. "Oh, so you're the infamous Katsuya."

Katsuya grinned. "I'm glad you know me."

Miranda giggled. "Not really. Kaiba's just told us that you were a pathetic wannabe who was always following him around."

Katsuya momentarily slumped a little at hearing the insult. But he quickly recovered and asked, "By the way, do you know a fast way to get to the second floor? That's where Brandon said Kaiba was."

The two singers of _ForLo_ felt their eyes grow wide. Katsuya tilted his head in confusion as Tina said, "That's so weird. Why would Kaiba want to go to…that floor?"

Miranda agreed. "He only goes there if he's extremely upset and needs their strong drinks and drugs."

Katsuya realized, "He saw Kyoto outside."

Tina growled in disgust as Miranda shook her head, sighing. "That's bad. Come on, we'll show you the back way."

Tina stopped her girlfriend. "Maybe you should let me go. After all, I can handle what's over there more than you can."

Miranda nodded and snuck in a kiss on Tina's cheek. Katsuya blushed as Tina gripped his shoulder and led him towards a door in the back. Going through the door, they came to a long slanting hallway that went downwards. As they started to walk, Katsuya asked, "Hey, Tina. Can you tell me something about Seto?"

Tina shook her head. "I promised to never answer any questions about him behind his back. If you want to know more about him, ask him yourself…or at least his brother."

Katsuya clutched his head. All of the information that he was getting on this single night was getting too much for him. After walking for about a couple minutes, they saw another door. Loud techno music could be heard through the door. Tina rolled her eyes. "Beyond that door is the gay floor. Watch yourself…there are a ton of hungry guys in there just waiting for a piece of you."

Katsuya swallowed hard. "I understand. But I'll be fine. Thanks again!" With that, he headed to the door and went in quickly. Tina shook her head and headed back to the floor. "You owe me, blondie…you owe me big time."

Beyond the door, Katsuya could not believe what he was seeing. The floor was covered with guys and most of them were wearing only pants. Small stages were placed on the floor and atop the stages were go-go dancers, almost completely nude. To Katsuya's surprise, he saw Kevin on one of the stages, dressed in leather pants and body glitter on his chest. Kevin saw him and gave him a little wave in the middle of his routine. Katsuya half-heartedly waved and kept looking around. The bright fluorescent lights blinded the blond and the extremely loud bass was deafening. He had to cover his nose because it reeked of booze, sweat, and the faint scent of drugs. He then spotted the bar and recognized Kaiba and Seth there. Smiling, he tried to make his way over to them. That feat was proving to be extremely difficult with the place packed with sweaty man, who did indeed look at him with hungry eyes. The young singer tried to ignore them and kept his eyes on Kaiba, who noticed him and turned around to not look at him. All of a sudden, a dancer with green hair came up behind Katsuya and started to grind his hips into the blond's. The blond yelped and backed away. "What the hell are you doing?" He tried to talk over the music since he realized that regular speaking was impossible.

The other guy just smirked. "You look hot! You new here?"

Katsuya just turned around and kept making his way through the crowd. Insulted and hungry, the guy went and wrapped his arms around the little blond. "Don't go! You're hot!"

Katsuya freaked and started to try to wiggle his way out of the guy's grasp. However, the guy was extremely buff and the blond was unable to move. His eyes immediately watered when the stranger licked his cheek and said in his eye, "Want to go back to my place and…investigate the unknown?"

Katsuya tried to answer but then realized that he was free. Looking to his left, he saw that Kaiba and Seth were there…and that Kaiba had knocked the harasser to the ground. Katsuya immediately hid behind Kaiba as Seth picked up the green-haired dancer. "What is the matter with you, Noah? Haven't you gotten into enough trouble already?"

Noah wanted to answer but was punched in the nose once again by Kaiba. Noah held his nose and glared at the brunette. Seeing the face up close, Katsuya's eyes grew wide. Aside from the green hair, Noah was a spitting image of Kaiba, if not gentler and hornier. Kaiba growled, "You will never change, will you?"

Noah shrugged and led the group, Katsuya included, to the bar. "Come now, brother! You know how horny I get!"

Katsuya realized that Noah was the brother that Tina was talking about. However, still afraid from his harassments, the blond kept quiet. The bartender gave the four men each a round of vodka and went to tend to the other men at the bar. With Katsuya watching, Seth, Kaiba, and Noah downed their shots simultaneously. Shuddering from the strength of the drink, Kaiba turned to Katsuya. "You all right?"

Katsuya nodded. "Why did you help me out there?"

Kaiba did not answer and Noah grinned. "He wanted to protect his boyfriend!"

Seth hit Noah upside the head and Kaiba back-fisted his chest. Kaiba then growled, "Will you shut the hell up? I do not care for the dumb blond!"

Noah laughed. "You never cared when I did that routine to other people!"

Katsuya found his voice towards the green-haired man. "You had no right to just start humping and licking a stranger! I am scarred for life!"

Noah smirked. "Too bad, Seto!"

The brunette made another swing for his brother but Noah quickly flipped over the railing and went back to dancing. Seth shook his head. "Katsuya, just ignore him! Noah is nothing but a man-whore!"

Katsuya nodded. "I noticed!"

Kaiba glared at the blond. "What the hell are you doing here? This is for specific men only! You don't belong here!"

Katsuya smirked. "Neither do you, Mr. Straight!"

Kaiba did not answer and took another shot of vodka. Seth smirked. "He just comes here for the booze! Best stuff in a 50 mile radius!"

Katsuya turned and looked at the many dancers on the mini stages. He smirked as Kevin started to get naughty in his pole routine and started to laugh when he saw Seth suffering from watching. "Seto, this place is fun!"

Both Kaiba and Seth looked at Katsuya with surprised looks. Kaiba slowly stood up. "What did you call me?"

Katsuya shrugged. "What's the deal? Kevin calls you by your first name!"

Kaiba growled and left in a hurry. Seth just rolled his eyes. "I don't know why he bothers to come here! He always leaves angry!"

"Should I go after him?"

Seth shook his head. "Kevin once did that and he came back with a black eye! Wait a few hours and then look for him at his apartment!"

Katsuya sighed and slumped on the bar. This had been a very tiring, confusing evening…and he had a feeling that there was more in store for him.


	13. The Touch of a New World

Chapter 13

The Touch of a New World

Waiting for a few hours in the gay bar was almost more than Katsuya could handle. Besides Noah, a ton of guys saw Katsuya as hot and tasty. If it wasn't for Seth protecting the young singer, the blond would have probably been taken advantage of many times. Towards the end of the waiting period, Katsuya was both antsy and nervous. Trying to not make it obvious that he was a newcomer to stop being hit on, he held onto a glass of vodka and leaned against the bar. Seth looked at the blond. "You bored?"

Katsuya shrugged. "I hate waiting…especially when Seto is upset with me! Why is he mad, anyway?"

Seth sighed and took a drink of his beer. "You called him by his first name!"

Katsuya tilted his head to the side. "So what? Kevin does that!"

Seth chuckled. "That's because Kevin hates calling people by their last name…and they knew each other when they were kids!"

Katsuya almost dropped his drink in surprise. He wanted to ask more but Kevin, wearing leather leggings and a leather thong from his dancing, came over and took the last empty spot at the bar, which was in between Seth and the singer. "Hey, Kats! Hey, hot stuff!"

Seth smirked and ruffled Kevin's hair, making the dancer giggle. Katsuya looked at the couple with envious eyes. The two were so much in love and were extremely hot when they were (seemingly) on their own, as the singer had seen firsthand. He hoped to have the same kind of relationship with Kaiba…if that was even possible. Seeing the look in the singer's eyes, Seth put his arm around his boyfriend and nibbled his ear. Kevin grinned as he looked at his blond friend. "So you going to go after Seto or what?"

Katsuya nodded and then downed his shot of vodka without thinking. He immediately gagged at the strength of the alcohol and his throat stinging. Kevin and the other drinkers laughed as Katsuya shuddered and Seth patted his back, trying to make him feel better. "First drink, huh?"

Still twitching from the experience, the singer nodded. Through laughing, Kevin went over and slipped something into Katsuya's pocket. "Before you have any more shots, go check on Seto! I think he'll be happy to see you!"

Katsuya coughed a little. "You think so?"

Kevin nodded as Seth pushed Katsuya towards the back door. Kevin gave the singer a smack on the behind. "Have fun!"

Katsuya blushed and rubbed his behind as he pushed his way over to the door. When he was out of sight, Noah joined the two lovers. "Hey, give me a raincoat! I got the hots for this one guy!"

Kevin shook his head. "Sorry, I just gave my last one away!"

Both Seth and Noah gave the blond a look of surprise. Noah gave a playful glare. "Great, what am I supposed to do now?"

Seth rolled his eyes. "What do you think, lameass?"

Noah blushed but went back to the dance floor, presumably to find the guy he wanted to spend the night with. Seth turned to the blond dancer. "Is that what you put in Katsuya's pocket?"

Kevin just grinned in response.

Already in front of Kaiba's apartment building, Katsuya had discovered the "gift" that Kevin snuck into his pocket. His face was as red as a strawberry as he quickly put it back into his pocket so that others would not see it and think negatively of him. Clearing his throat to calm his nerves, he started up the stairs as slowly as he could walk. He did not want to

Finally reaching the desired floor, he could hear the faint music coming from a guitar. Taking a deep breath, he made his way to the apartment. As he got closer, he could hear Kaiba singing a slow, sad song. His heart aching, Katsuya peeke\d into the window. Kaiba was sitting on the couch with an acoustic guitar in his hands, playing the tune that the blond heard. The song was about never giving up even when life hurt the most or when things did not go your way. The look on Kaiba's face was different from the usual numbness or anger; this time, there appeared to be sadness and loneliness.

Before he knew what he was doing, Katsuya tapped on the window. Striking a wrong chord, Kaiba slowly looked up, his face back to annoyed anger. Katsuya gave a half-smile and a tiny wave, worried about what the brunette would do to him. Setting the guitar on the couch, the brunette went to the door and opened it angrily. "What the hell do you want? Get out of here!"

Katsuya shook his head. "I can't do that…I don't want to."

Kaiba scowled and went back in his apartment. "Why the hell can't you just leave me alone?"

Katsuya went in and closed the door behind him. "After all I've seen and learned tonight? That's impossible for me to do."

Rolling his eyes, Kaiba sat on the couch and put his legs on his small table. "What, are you surprised that I drink and have a brother? For being in love with me, you surely know nothing about me."

Katsuya blushed as he went to stand in front of the brunette. "I know that…and that's why…I want us to get to know each other better. That way, my feelings can have solid ground under them…and you can maybe fall for me."

Kaiba scoffed. "I told you, I'm straight. I would never fall for a mangy mutt such as you."

Katsuya growled and hit the brunette's foot. He soon leaned that doing that was a major mistake. Before the blond knew what happened, Kaiba had pinned him down on the ground with his hand on the blond's throat. The blond froze in terror as the brunette's eyes burned with anger. "Don't…EVER…touch my leg! You hear me?"

Katsuya quickly nodded his head. Slowly settling down, Kaiba got off the smaller singer and turned his back to him. "Now…please leave me. I could hurt you deeply."

Katsuya sat up and touched his love-interest on the shoulder. "I know that…but I can't run away. I'm in too deep."

Kaiba scoffed. "Man, you must be queer, quoting a chick flick like that."

Katsuya smirked with the perfect comeback. "Well, no straight guy would have recognized a line from that kind of movie."

Kaiba looked at the blond. "Touché."

Katsuya grinned with triumph and scooted closer to the bigger singer. "Come on, Seto. Just be nice to me for once."

Kaiba looked at the blond and scowled. "Why the hell are you calling me by my first name?"

Katsuya blushed. "It's because I like you. Isn't that a good enough reason?"

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "So are you expecting me to kiss you again? Your lips aren't virgins anymore."

Katsuya blushed deeper. "Well…can you kiss them anyway?"

Kaiba smirked. "And I thought Noah was the horny one."

Katsuya growled and stood up. "Don't you dare compare me to your gigolo of a brother!"

"Says the guy who came back to the person who supposedly almost raped him."

Katsuya stopped for a moment and blushed. Kaiba gave the blond a cold look. "I try to give you what you want and you call me the deadliest of names. I almost killed you for that. Even then, you just won't stay away. Just what the hell do you want from me?"

Katsuya had to think about his answer for a moment. He wanted a lot of things from the brunette but was almost too afraid to mention them in fear of seeing Kaiba's anger once again. Remembering Naoki's warning, Katsuya decided to stay silent. Growing impatient, Kaiba snapped, "Answer me or leave!"

Flinching, Katsuya suddenly burst out, "You know what I want from you!"

Kaiba gave the singer a blank look. "If you're talking about love, that's impossible. I can't give you something that doesn't exist."

Katsuya groaned in frustration and started to leave. Kaiba then stood up. "Would you settle for the next best thing?"

Katsuya looked back. "If you're talking about fooling around, then no. You can't have sex without love."

Kaiba shook his head. "You kids and your moral thinking. People hop into a bed without love all the time. Look at affairs and prostitutes. Do you think those people are in love?"

Katsuya grimaced, knowing that the brunette was right. For a moment, he thought of Naoki since the guitarist has been to bed with a number of girls and did not truly love any of them. "I guess not but…"

Kaiba quickly went in front of the door and gave the blond a sultry, yet annoyed, look. "Like I said earlier, it's my job to satisfy my fans, on and off the stage. Now do you want it or not?"

Katsuya blushed. "I want it but…"

"That's good enough for me." Kaiba pushed the blond against the wall and kissed him roughly. Katsuya did not like the fact that Kaiba was being so rough with him and that the brunette was doing this without any love behind it. However, as soon as Kaiba's hand started to travelling, the blond melted and responded to the tall singer.

Back at the HeavyMetal Amazon, the other members of _Rage Inside_ were hanging out at the entrance. Andrew was extremely drunk and started to flirt with all the women in the female line. Only a few women acted like they were flattered by his flirts; the rest either ignored him or pushed him on the ground. When that happened, Brandon picked him and apologized to the female. Sean stayed away from his friends since he noticed _Last Resort_ was still at the nearby café. Brandon had informed the two about the little dispute between their singer and Kyoto. Being the toughest and the second most violent member, Sean ran through his mind all the things that he could do to Kyoto. He had a lot of ideas but the end result of all of them were Sean in jail and Kaiba being extremely mad for not finishing off his enemy on his own. As soon as he decided to, at the very least, punch Kyoto around, Tina stormed out of the club and started to stomp over to _Last Resort_. Miranda was close behind her, trying to stop her girlfriend. "Tina, stop! It isn't worth it!"

Tina scowled and kept walking. "Oh, yes it is, Miranda!"

Numora looked up and noticed Tina coming towards them. He smirked. "Well, hey there, sweet cheeks."

Tina did not answer him. Instead, she jumped the fence and punched Kyoto in the nose. He merely smirked and looked at the girl. "I like you. You got spunk."

Sean and Brandon quickly arrived and held Tina back, who was struggling to attack the singer again. Cota grimaced. "Yikes, what did you do to this chick?"

Yin agreed. "What, did you bang and drop her?"

Tina growled viciously. "I would never be with this bastard!"

Kyoto rubbed away the blood from his nose with his napkin. "Same here. Even though she's hot, I would never betray Numora."

Numora slightly blushed and then looked back at Tina "So what's your problem?"

Tina viciously broke away from Sean and Brandon. "My problem is your bitch! He should not be around here!"

Kyoto raised his eyebrow in confusion and then went back to smirking, as if he put the pieces together. "Ah…I see. You're one of Kawasaki's allies."

Tina growled as Miranda joined them and pulled her girlfriend away from the band. Kyoto covered his nose with his now bloody napkin. "You can try to save him but you can't! He was, is, and will always be beyond help!"

Following the girls, Brandon started punching his hand. "That jerk! I ought to strangle him!"

Miranda hugged Tina, who was fuming and muttering profanities, and turned to the bassist. "We all want to…but Kaiba said that he wants to take care of Kyoto himself."

Sean rolled his eyes. "He always says that but he knows what will happen if he does 'take care' him."

Miranda nodded as Tina growled, running her hand through her hair. "It's just not fair! Why should Kaiba have to go through all this crap?"

Sean shrugged. "It's how he is. He refuses to let go of the past."

Miranda had an idea. "Maybe that guy we met can help."

Tina scoffed as Andrew stumbled on Brandon's back. "Yeah, that'll be the day: Kaiba letting another man heal him."

Miranda merely shrugged. "You never know."


	14. Triumphant Failure

Chapter 14

Triumphant Failure

An hour later, Kaiba sat up from the bed, covered from the waist down with his bed sheet. He stretched his back and shook the sweat from his hair. He gave a small shudder and leaned his head back, closing his eyes and sighing softly. He could not believe what he had just did. He had vowed for years to never do the act…and yet he did and with someone he hated. After rubbing his eye to relieve the itch, he started to fan himself with his sheet, trying to cool off his sweat-covered body. He was reaching for his cigarette pack when he heard a couple of groans next to him. He looked down at the body and shook his head. "Come on, mutt. Stop being so dramatic."

The person lying next to him was Katsuya, covered in the sheet as well. He was lying on his stomach and shuddering in pain. He had even more sweat on him as he clutched the bed and arched. "Shut up. I'm in pain. You're an animal."

Kaiba gave an attitude look while putting a cigarette into his mouth. "Come on, I did all the work and I'm not even half as tired as you."

Katsuya turned over on his back and gave a squeak of pain. "Ow…"

"Knock it off, we only did it a few times."

Katsuya glared at the brunette. "A few times is a lot for a first timer!"

Kaiba ignored the young blond and lit a cigarette to calm his senses. After inhaling a long drag of smoke, he offered the box to the other singer. Katsuya shook his head and propped up his upper body on his elbows. "Why did you do that?"

Kaiba tossed the box onto the floor and took another long puff of smoke. "Cigarettes always help calm you down."

"Not that, you hound! I meant…why did you make love to me?"

Kaiba shook his head. "I didn't. I had sex with you. There's a fine line between the two."

Katsuya tilted his head in slight surprise. "Then why?"

The brunette shrugged and exhaled a long stream of smoke. "I just figured, since I took your lips' virginity, I might as well take the whole package."

Katsuya growled and turned his head away from the older singer. "You jerk! I can't believe that you would do me without love!"

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "I told you before we started that I don't love you and you still let me do it. If you ask me, that's the twisted part of this tale."

Katsuya slowly looked at the brunette. "Wait, what are you trying to tell me?"

"Gods, you are as stupid as you look. I'm saying that I would have stopped if you told me to. I did last time."

Katsuya blushed out of embarrassment. Kaiba crushed the cigarette in the ashtray and stood up from the bed. "All right, you got what you wanted. Now get out."

Katsuya lowered his head back onto the pillow. "I can't. I can barely move."

Kaiba groaned while putting on his robe. "Stop whining. It only hurts if the pitcher was extremely rough and I thought I was being gentle."

The blond scoffed. "You wish…I probably won't be able to sit for a week."

"Just leave me alone."

Katsuya shook his head. "No. I need at least an hour to dull the pain. That's all I'm asking for, an hour."

Kaiba growled. "You ass, we already had an hour. Now get out!"

Katsuya crossed his arms. "No and you can't make me leave."

"I can if I want to."

"So you don't want me to leave."

"I didn't say that."

Katsuya scoffed. "All I want is a damn hour. Let me rest and heal and then I'll be on my way."

Kaiba groaned loudly. "Fine, do what you want. All your queers do that."

Katsuya wanted to say a retort but was too tired to think of one. Instead he asked, "Can I borrow the shower for a while?"

Kaiba slightly shrugged as he left the room. The blond sat up, wincing at his pain. "Where are you going?"

Kaiba said from the door, "Just take the shower and stop worrying about me." With that statement, he slammed the door. Katsuya grimaced at the slam and brought his knees to his chest. He may have gotten one thing that he wanted but it did not seem to be enough now. The part that made him crave the brunette even more was the fact that he was able to see the hurt behind Kaiba's eyes where everyone else saw anger and evil. Even though he wanted to do everything he could to help the brunette, he had no idea where he could start. Sighing deeply, he dragged himself to the bathroom to wash up.

Kaiba leaned against the railing and lit another cigarette, momentarily having a small glow against his face in the dark night. His mind was racing about what he and the blond just finished and could not help but wonder what possessed him. As he exhaled a puff of smoke, a familiar voice sounded next to him. "Can I bum one of those?"

Kaiba merely blinked and offered the open package to Seth, who took one and lit it with his lighter. The singer leaned his head back. "Kevin still working?"

Seth nodded. "Though he should be done in a few minutes."

"Why didn't you stay and wait for him?"

Seth leaned against the railing and chuckled. "Well, you left your brother behind. He got in a lot of trouble and Kevin made me drive him home."

"I left him because I thought he would have someone to take him home."

Seth shook his head. "Nope. The guy lost interest when he learned that Noah didn't have any form of protection. Speaking of protection…how was it?" He looked very thoroughly over the singer's robe.

Kaiba growled. "Remind me to strangle Kevin the next time I see him."

Seth laughed and inhaled a puff. "You should thank him. He gave his last one to your lover."

"That mutt is not my lover."

Seth rolled his eyes. "Come on, man. You always claim to hate men…"

Kaiba tossed his cigarette over his head towards the ground floor. "I do. My band members, you and Kevin are the exception."

Seth shook his head. "Whatever, man. But if you truly hate men, why did you just have sex with a man?"

Kaiba shrugged. "To tell you the truth…I have no idea. Especially after running into HIM tonight, you would think that I wanted to be alone."

Seth nodded. "Yeah, that's how you are when you see that bitch."

Kaiba smirked. "True…but the mutt won't leave me alone. No matter what I do, he always comes back."

"Like a kitten?"

Kaiba ran his hand through his hair. "If you can call a mutt a kitten. Either way, they're both annoying animals."

Seth dropped his cigarette on the ground and crushed with his heel. "Maybe you should give him a chance."

Kaiba scoffed. "That will happen when hell freezes over."

"Look, just give him a chance. He may change you."

Kaiba stood up. "I refuse to let anyone into my life! I did that once and all I got in the end was pain, misery, and loneliness!"

Seth looked at the singer with a blank look, almost looking like he did not care. Having enough of the conversation, Kaiba opened his door and was stepping in when Seth spoke up. "That was different. I doubt Katsuya will do what that kid did."

Kaiba paused with a look of slight pain on his face. But his resolve came back and he glared at Seth. He scowled and hissed, "You made it, you played it; your shit is overrated." With that, he slammed the door behind him. Seth smirked. "Touched a nerve, did I?"

Kevin was coming up to his lover when he heard Seth's latest comment. "Touched a nerve with who, babe?"

Seth shook his head. "I'll tell you later. Come, let's get some sleep." He wrapped his arm around the blond dancer and they went to their apartment.

After his shower, the blond came out and dressed in his pants. He sighed in content, stretching his back muscles and scratching the back of his head. "Seto? You back?"

Kaiba looked into the bedroom. "Yes. Now get out!"

Katsuya winced at the brunette's harsh tone. "But Seto…"

Kaiba stomped into the room and threw Katsuya's shirt at his face. "No buts! I have lyrics to work on!"

The blond tilted his head in surprised. "I thought your tour was coming up soon."

Kaiba nodded as he started to dress. "Exactly. That's why I need to work on new songs to present to the public."

"Why not use your old songs and add in the few songs you have?"

Kaiba growled. "The last thing I need from you is advice on concerts."

"Why not?"

"You were one opening and suddenly you think you know everything about performing? Screw you, I have years of experience and I know what the crowd wants."

Katsuya put his shirt on while nodding. "Yeah, you got a point there."

"Good, now go away and leave me alone."

"When can I come back?"

"Not for a while."

Katsuya stuck out his lower lip and whined, "Why not?"

Kaiba rolled his eyes and growled in annoyance. "Because of my tour, idiot! Gods, you truly are a dumb blond."

Katsuya growled. "Just because you're going on tour doesn't mean I can't go to your concerts! You said yourself that the tour would stay in London so you won't have to go to hotels!"

Kaiba threw his shirt at the blond, who moved out of the way so he would not get hit. "I do not want you there at my concerts!"

"You have no right to order me around!"

"Yes, I do! If you gave me permission to sleep with you, then I have the right to order you about!"

Katsuya had to pause for a moment and wonder about the meaning behind the brunette's words. Where could such a belief have come from? Shaking his head, Katsuya put on his shirt. "I don't know who taught you that but I will teach you differently. Also, no matter what you do, I am not leaving you alone anymore."

"Why the hell not?"

Katsuya smirked. "If I give you permission to sleep with me, then I have the right to see you whenever I want."

Kaiba started to retort but growled in defeat. "Fine, I don't care anymore. But keep this in mind: I do not love you and I never will."

Katsuya smiled and hopped onto the bed. "All right, Mr. I'm-Straight-But-Will-Sleep-With-Men."

Kaiba grabbed his pillow and smacked the blond. "Get out!"

Katsuya giggled and did as he was told. Before he shut the door, he called out to Kaiba, "Love you!" Kaiba moved his head into view of the blond with a cold glare on his face. Katsuya laughed and closed the door. Kaiba headed to the bathroom, muttering, "Retarded fag…'

On his way back to his place, Katsuya found that he had a lighter feeling in his steps. He could have easily said that it was the shower that he took that made him feel extra good. However, he knew that he was living on cloud nine because of the hour that he spent with Kaiba. The event was his first time and he loved every minute of it. True, he was sore and tired but he would not have had it any other way. He started to remember every little movement and he started to skip and giggle. He got a lot of stares from the few people who were around.

When he was a few blocks away from the apartment, he noticed a newspaper stand with a headline on the newspaper that was greatly disturbing. Katsuya took a closer look and read the article aloud. "'Jack the Rapist Strikes Again.' Poor girl…I hope they find that guy."

A familiar voice rang out nearby. "Why worry about her? You don't know her."

Katsuya looked in the direction of the voice and saw Kyoto leaning against a lamppost, texting on his cell phone. Katsuya growled. "I may not know her but I still feel bad about her. Rape is worse than death."

Kyoto scoffed, not looking up from his phone. "Please. Rape is so over rated."

Katsuya was more than shocked. "How can you say that?"

Kyoto gave the blond a cold look. "Because it is. A man has rough sex with a woman and she claims that she was raped. It's ruining the men and giving women a fatter pocket."

Katsuya growled. "What the hell is wrong with you? No woman wants to be raped! It basically murders their soul!"

Kyoto got off the lamppost and grimaced in disgust. "You must be gay to not want to roughly bang a girl." Katsuya's face blushed faster than he could react. Kyoto noticed the blush. "Wait a minute…you are gay, aren't you?"

Katsuya decided to try something. "What if I am?"

Kyoto smirked. "Then let me direct you to Kawasaki. You should infect him with all of your deadly diseases and both of you can die."

Katsuya did not respond with words; instead, he responded with his fist. He punched the punk rocker right in the eye. Kyoto growled and tackled the blond to the ground. The two boys started a vicious fight with punches as they rolled into a puddle of mud and water. The owner of the newsstand watched in confused wonder as the singers became covered in mud and continued to punch each other's chest and faces. The fight would have only gotten more vicious if Numora and Naoki had not arrived, both looking for their respected singer. The two guitarists pulled their singer apart from each other. Kyoto leaned against the dreadlocked teen, who held him close and winced at the singer's visible bruises. Not wanting to make things worse, Naoki started to pull the still fighting blond down the street. "What the hell was that about?"

Katsuya winced at the bruises on his face. "He called me gay and told me to infect Seto!"

Kyoto's eyebrow rose at Katsuya calling Kaiba by his first name. He listened some more as Naoki smacked the blond upside the head. "So what if he called you gay? We all know that!"

Katsuya whimpered at his pain. "I don't care about that! He is not allowed to wish for Seto to be dead!"

Kyoto raised his head in surprise as Numora got under his arm and started to carry the singer away. "Numora…did you hear that?"

Numora nodded. "Yeah, but I don't care about that. We need to get you washed up and treat those bruises."

"But don't you get it? He can provide us a chance to get rid of both Kawasaki and himself. This is the opportunity of a lifetime!"

Numora stopped walking. "Babe…promise me you won't get into too much trouble. You know we already have a record."

Kyoto scoffed. "That isn't a true crime. We can't help it."

"I know but we can't take anymore chances. I don't want to lose you."

Kyoto nodded and leaned his head on his lover's shoulder. "I don't want to lose you either…so I promise to not break any laws."

"That's not good enough. Just get rid of the bands with your talent and songs."

Kyoto groaned and Numora pinched the singer's side. The singer then sighed. "All right, fine." Unfortunately Numora did not see that Kyoto's fingers on the hand hanging out of his sight were crossed.


	15. The More The Love, The Harder The Pain

Chapter 15

The More The Love, The Harder The Pain

Later that night, Katsuya came out of the shower, finally clean from the mud. He normally did not like the idea of having two showers in one day but he had no choice. Wrapping a towel around his waist, he looked at his reflection in the mirror and winced. His chest had a few vicious bruises that were already turning black and blue. His left eye was swollen shut and was accompanied with a bruised cheek right below it. He scoffed as he remembered the fight. "That jerk…"

Suddenly the door opened up and Naoki came in. Katsuya jumped in fright and covered his chest. "Naoki, have you ever heard of knocking?"

Naoki got into the shower and undressed, tossing his clothes at Katsuya's feet. "You don't own the bathroom. We all need to be clean as well."

Katsuya groaned in exasperation as Naoki turned the water on. "Can't you wait for me to be done?"

"With those bruises? Great, I have to wait three weeks."

Katsuya gave a mock laugh as Tetsuya came in, wearing his white pajamas. "What's all the racket?"

Katsuya blushed as he pulled on a pair of black boxers. "Since when has the bathroom become the social center of the apartment?"

Tetsuya leaned against the towel rack. "Since you looked like hell coming home and yelling up a storm about Kyoto and Kaiba in the shower."

Katsuya blushed deeply. "Well…Kyoto thinks that I'm infected and should infect Seto."

Naoki groaned. "How stupid is he. I mean, there's no way you could possibly be with Seto in that way. Am I right or am I right?"

Putting on an over-sized shirt, Katsuya froze his movement. Tetsuya tilted his head. "Katsuya?"

Naoki poked his head out. "Is he frozen or something? What's wrong with him?"

Tetsuya shook his head. "I don't know. I've never seen him like this."

Katsuya put on his shirt, feeling his cheeks burning up. Naoki raised his eyebrow. "Dude, what happened tonight?"

Katsuya cleared his throat in embarrassment. "Um, well…I hung out with Seto's band members for a while on the first floor of the HeavyMetal Amazon. Then it was the top floor with _ForLo_…"

Tetsuya's eyes grew wide. "You met _ForLo_?"

Naoki grimaced. "Man, how can you get so lucky and so unlucky in one night?"

Thinking about the lucky part of his night, Katsuya blushed even deeper. Naoki went back into the shower. "You must be getting sick since you keep blushing like that."

Before he could control himself, Katsuya let out a giggle. He then quickly covered his mouth as Tetsuya's smiling face slowly fade away with realization coming in. "Oh no…you did not."

Naoki peeked out once again. "What?"

Katsuya blushed and chuckled nervously. "Did not what?"

Tetsuya gave a disgusted look and smacked the singer upside the head. "I can't believe that you would sleep with that jerk!"

Katsuya tried to explain himself but Tetsuya stormed out of the bathroom. Naoki went back to his shower. Katsuya sighed. "What did I do wrong?"

Naoki started to wash his hair. "What do you think? Here's a guy who hates you and you go to bed with him. I mean, how desperate can you be?"

Katsuya's eyes watered. "I love him. Can't you two understand that?"

Naoki threw the bottle down onto the shower floor. "You're in love with a guy who will never love you back! On top of that, you have sex with him and he probably hates you even more for that! You weren't thinking straight, just like every single day of your life!" Naoki would have continued on but he heard the door slam. The guitarist peeked out and saw that Katsuya had left. He sighed and leaned his head against the railing. "Great…"

In his room, Katsuya threw himself on his bed and began crying. The most wonderful night of his life turned into a total disaster. He got in a vicious fight with Kyoto that gave him throbbing bruises and now his friends were mad at him for being with Kaiba. He could not understand why his friends had a hard time accepting his feelings for the brunette. It was true that Kaiba claimed to hate him but now Katsuya did not know what to believe since he knew that a person would never have sex with the person they hated. On the other hand, Kaiba did say that he would have stopped if the blond had ordered him to. Yet, Katsuya wondered why Kaiba would have done the hour of passion if he claimed to be completely straight. His mind raced at a hundred miles an hour as he continued to cry. Very soon, he cried himself to sleep. Tetsuya peeked in. "You think we were too hard on him?"

Naoki shook his head. "No way. I don't get it. It wasn't that long ago that Katsuya hated him. Now he gives his virginity to the guy?"

Tetsuya closed the bedroom. "I don't know. It just seems weird that Kaiba hates him and yet, would take what Katsuya offered him."

Naoki merely nodded in agreement.

The next morning, Naoki was playing a tune on his guitar as Tetsuya was fixing some eggs. Getting in the mood, Naoki played a riff on his guitar that made Tetsuya roll his eyes. "Such a show-off."

The guitarist grinned. "You know it!"

Putting the eggs into three plates, Tetsuya looked over his shoulder at his friend. "You want to use that music ability to wake up Katsuya? He's sleeping in late."

Naoki nodded and went to the bedroom door. "Hot shot! Wake up!" When there was no response, the guitarist kicked open the door and played a loud piece of music. Tetsuya covered his ears in pain; however, the piece did not last long. Naoki saw that the bed was empty and stopped playing the guitar. "Where did he go?"

Little did they know that Katsuya had woken up extremely early and left. He thought about leaving a note but eventually decided against it. If his friends were to read the note, they would have discovered where he was going and would have stopped him. He was still dressed in the outfit that he wore last night with a black hoodie to cover the bruises on his face. His cheek was black while his eye was not as swollen as it was but he still could not see out of it.

After a few more minutes of walking, the blond came up to the desired apartment building. He stopped for a minute, wondering why he even came here in the first place. He knew that Kaiba would not want to see him; nevertheless, Katsuya wanted to see the brunette. He straightened his hair, wincing as he brushed his injured eye, and made his way up the stairs. As he approached the desired apartment, he heard arguing between Kaiba and Mai. Mai was in hysterics. "What the hell were you thinking?"

Kaiba growled. "I had no choice! It was either take his virginity or let him live here!"

"You should have just kicked him out! You've done that with all your other fans!"

"The damn mutt keeps coming back!"

Mai groaned in frustration. "Gods…you're just like him, you know: taking things that don't belong to you!"

Katsuya tilted his head in wonder but immediately flinched at Kaiba's angry yell and a barrage of loud clatters. There were a few yelps from Mai as if she were hit by the objects. Katsuya covered his ears as Kaiba continued to scream. Suddenly the door burst open and Mai came out in a hurry, covered in red mark and small scratches. The door shut with a loud bang and Kaiba continued his rampage. Shuddering, Mai finally noticed Katsuya standing there, who had uncovered his hands to offer her some help. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Katsuya blushed. "I…came to see Seto."

Mai shook his head. "That's not a good idea right now. As you can hear, Kaiba's out of control."

Katsuya slowly nodded. "Maybe I can settle him down."

Mai showed off her injuries. "This is what I get for starting him like this. If you go in there, he'll gut you." Katsuya decided to ignore her warnings and headed into the apartment. She shook her head in disgust. "Your funeral." With that, she left, growling profanities towards Kaiba. Waiting for her on top of his black car corvette was Noah. "Where is he?"

Mai showed off her scratches. "Went ballistic on me. He actually scared my body!"

Noah winced. "Ouch…but I've had worse scratches on my back." He then arched his back a little, making Mai grimace in disgust. "Why did he do that?"

Mai immediately looked guilty. "Because…of what I said."

Noah's face fell. "You didn't." Mai did not have to answer, for the answer was clear on her face. The green-haired young man hopped off his car. "Mai, you know what happens when he's compared to him! You've seen what he's done!"

Mai blushed in embarrassment. "I don't need a lecture. It was the slip of the tongue. Now, if you excuse me, I have to get to work." She then turned sharply on her heel and headed in the opposite direction. Noah shook his head in disgust and got in his car, muttering, "For being his sister, you sure are stupid."

Katsuya stood in shock at the mess in front of him. With the exception of the top shelf holding the dusty toy dog, the shelving unit was completely bare. All the books, figurines, and movies were scattered on the floor. The living room table was turned over, surrounded by more littered movies. The TV was hanging from one hook and the couches were tipped over. While looking at the damage, the blond could hear Kaiba panting heavily in the bathroom. He cautiously stepped over the mess to the bathroom door, not wanting to further damage the scattered items, and knocked. Kaiba's hoarse voice sounded from the other side. "Go away, bitch."

Katsuya stiffened. "It's me."

An unknown object hit the door, making Katsuya flinch. "You're even worse than her. Go away."

Katsuya shook his head. "I can't go. You need help cleaning this mess."

For what seemed like an eternity, there was silence between both of them. Katsuya sighed and decided to start the cleaning process. He lowered down his knees and began to stack the books based on their cover. He started with the paper backs since there was a small amount of them. As he was stacking them, he got a close look at the titles. All of the titles were either in the horror, science fiction, or murder mystery genre. The blond shuddered and continued to stack the books. Once the paper backs were in their stack, he started to look for a spot to place them while he organized the figurines when a hard-cover book suddenly appeared in front of his face. The blond looked up to see Kaiba holding the book. The taller singer immediately took interest in the blond's injuries. "What the hell happened to you?"

Katsuya blushed and covered his face with his hood. "It's nothing."

With a face that was numb, Kaiba roughly picked up the blond and led him to the kitchen. Once there, the brunette turned on the stove top and picked a small knife. Katsuya tried to get away but Kaiba grabbed him by his hood. "You're not going anywhere until I fix that face of yours."

Katsuya tried again to get away but Kaiba got him in a chokehold while putting the blade through the flames. He then made two cuts on the swollen part of the eye and cheek. Katsuya yelped in pain as the blade sliced through his skin and the blood started to flow. After a few seconds, though, his cheek stopped throbbing and his eye opened up. He stared at his unattainable lover with both eyes. "How did you do that?"

Kaiba let the blond go to wash the blade with one hand and turn off the stove with the other. "Basic medicine, idiot. Get the bad blood out that's flooding. Even an idiot like you should know that."

The blond blushed. "How did you learn to do that?"

Kaiba froze for a moment as he tried to think of a good excuse. "Saw it in a movie. Now get out."

Katsuya shook his head. "I told you; I'm going to help you clean up your place."

Kaiba growled and faced the blond. "I don't need any help from a mangy mutt like you! Now get out before I make that eye swollen again!"

Katsuya took some paper towels and pressed them against the cuts. "How can you say such things to your lover?"

Kaiba stabbed the knife into the cutting board, pushing it in deeply. "What the hell are you talking about? You think that, just because I took your offered virginity, I'm suddenly your lover now? You are even more stupid than you look! I would never love you if you were the last person alive! I would never love you even if you were a woman! I did what I did so that you could go away! Why can't you get that through your head? I don't love you; I don't even like you! In fact, I hate you!"

Katsuya's eyes were brimming with tears throughout the entire tirade of yells but the last sentence finally caused them to spill over. His heart shattered into dust as the words "I hate you" echoed in his head. His chin tightened to keep him from crying. Unaffected by the blond's display of sadness, Kaiba lowered his shoulder in relaxation. "Now…get out of my house."

Katsuya had trouble moving since his legs were starting to wobble from his hurt. Kaiba snapped "GET OUT" and Katsuya winced, more tears falling. The blond suddenly found movement in his right arm; he slapped Kaiba across his face. He then raced out the door, bawling loudly. Kaiba did not react to the slap and just went to the bathroom to look at his new red mark. Looking at his reflection, his face slowly scrunched into a vicious snarl and he punched the mirror with a small roar, shattering the mirror to pieces and blooding his hand.


	16. From Ashes Raises a Phoenix

Chapter 16

From Ashes Raises a Phoenix

Still crying viciously, Katsuya ran down the stairs with the intention of running away as far as he could. However, he could not see where he was going and crashed into a revving corvette. Landing on his behind, he looked up through teary eyes and barely made out the form of Noah's head peeking out of the driver's window. The green haired queer merely sighed and lowered the roof. "Get in the back."

Whimpering in sadness, Katsuya quickly obeyed. He jumped in the back seat and laid down across the seats, crying fresh tears. Noah shook his head sadly and put the roof back on. Rolling up the windows and turning on his _Death Becomes Me_ CD, he pulled out of his parking space and started to drive down the road. He did not remind the blond to put on his seatbelt since the back was small in size and he knew that the singer needed to be curled up in the fetal position to feel a little better.

In the back, Katsuya was almost in a state of severe depression over the tirade that Kaiba gave him. It was true that he felt guilty for calling the vicious singer his lover but he truly felt that way about Kaiba. Katsuya did indeed love him, despite the fact that the brunette had a vicious and potentially lethal temper. Even with all this knowledge and first hand experience, Katsuya could not shake his feelings because of the hurt that he saw behind Kaiba's blue eyes. The blond continued to fight internally between his heart and his mind while still crying. He did not settle down until Noah stopped and turned off the car. He slowly lifted his head and wiped his puffy eyes. "Where are we?"

Noah looked at the blond with a smirk. "At my clubhouse."

Tilting his head, the blond peeked out through the front windshield. The car was in front of two floor apartment building that was painted in many bright colors. There were four apartments on each floor, evident by four doors, and a staircase with purple railing led to the second floor. A few windows had sex toys in them for decoration. Men dressed in bright outfits were either on the porch or seen in silhouette through window curtains. Katsuya leaned his head against the seat cushion. "You took me to a gay brothel?"

Noah growled as he got out. "It's not a brothel. It's an apartment building that I own…though, I must admit, I've done the deed with every guy here."

Being reminded of the deed, Katsuya's eyes brimmed with fresh tears and he gave a sad whimper. Sighing in disgust and slight annoyance, Noah pulled the blond out of his car and literally dragged the singer to the door on the right side of the first floor. Having been dropped onto the carpet, Katsuya curled back into the fetal position and continued to cry. Noah covered him with a large blanket and left him alone.

Katsuya curled up in the blanket, trying to erase Kaiba's words from his mind. It was not an easy accomplishment. He knew that Kaiba owned his every thought. He tried with all his might to focus on the positive memories he had with the brunette, even though they were few and far between. Nevertheless, no matter how hard he tried to remember good times, the argument would continue to haunt him. He continued to cry until he fell asleep, completely exhausted.

A couple hours later, Katsuya was awoken by persistent knocking at the front door. He poked his head out to see Noah in a bright green Speedo answer the door. The blond shuddered in disgust as Noah leaned forward to stick his head out. "Ah, Ree-Ree. Nice to see you again."

To Katsuya's surprise, Riku's voice sounded. "Very funny, Noah. We need to talk about your residents.

Katsuya got out of the blanket's embrace and raced next to Noah. "Riku! What are you doing here?"

Riku's eyes got extremely wide as she looked at her brother. "Oh gods, please don't tell me you're Noah's latest squeeze."

Katsuya groaned in disgust as Noah shuddered. "Please! Whatever gave you that idea?" Riku gestured to the gay man's Speedo and Noah blushed. "Oh…no. It's laundry day and this is the only thing that's clean."

Riku rolled her eyes and pushed her way in. "Yeah sure. I'm supposed to believe that when you're with a guy?"

Katsuya touched his sister's shoulder. "Hang on, sis. What are you doing here?"

Riku slightly blushed and hesitated. Noah grinned and spoke up. "She's the only girl that lives in this complex. In fact, she lives next door to me."

Katsuya gave his sister a surprised look as she shrugged. "It's within my price range and I got a discount for being a straight girl." She then noticed the blond's cuts. "Katsu, what happened to you?"

Katsuya covered his cuts with his hand. Noah removed the singer's hand and looked. "Ah…thought so." Seeing the siblings' confused reactions, Noah explained. "Only a few people know how to relieve bruises like that and blondie just saw one of them."

Katsuya lowered his head as he thought about Noah's older brother. Sensing her brother's anguish, Riku gave him a hug, which he responded to. Noah put a pink robe. "What did my brother say to you this time?"

Katsuya's eyes brimmed with tears once again. "He said…he hates me."

Riku's hand gripped tighter on his brother. "That bastard! Tell me where he lives and I'll destroy him!"

Katsuya shook his head. "No, you can't do that!"

Noah agreed. "Of course she can't. How else will Seto apologize with Katsuya?"

The siblings looked at Noah. Katsuya wiped his eyes. "Seto will apologize to me?"

Noah nodded. "The only two people he doesn't apologize to are me and Mai. Other than us, he apologizes for his behavior all the time."

Riku glared. "That still gives no excuse for what he did."

Noah smirked. "Blame his sister on it."

Katsuya's eyes grew wide. "Wait…are you talking about…Mai?"

Noah nodded. "Yep. All three of us consider ourselves siblings."

Riku raised her eyebrow. "What does that mean? You're either related or you're not."

Noah chuckled. "We lived in the same house for years. Because of that and the secrets we hold about each other, we consider ourselves related to each other."

Katsuya wanted to ask what those secrets were but remembered that Tina would not tell him anything about the brunette. Figuring that Kaiba's own brother would be under that same oath, the blond asked a different question. "Then what made Seto say that to me?"

Noah grimaced. "Mai said something she shouldn't have. If you want to know what it was, ask Seto but don't expect him to give you a full answer."

Katsuya nodded. "So he doesn't hate me?"

Noah grinned. "That depends. Has he slept with you yet?" Katsuya's blush gave the answer. Riku took a step back in surprise as Noah nodded. "Thought so. Were you on top?" Katsuya shook his head. "Oh…I see."

Riku gave the queer a look. "What does that have to do with Kaiba's feelings?"

Noah smirked. "I once asked him how I would be able to tell if he was in love with someone. He said that that person would experience three things."

Katsuya tilted his head. "What are those things?"

Riku was shocked at his brother's question. "Why do you want to know? Katsu, that guy is dangerous!"

Katsuya shook his head while tears fell some more. "I can't leave him alone! I'm too involved in his life now! Even if I wanted to leave him, he owns my thoughts! I love him! I can't help it; this is how I feel!"

Riku did not know what to say. She thought that her brother was making a mistake but she did not want to make him even more upset. Wiping his eyes, the blond looked at Noah. "Tell me the three things."

Noah decided to take Riku's side since he could see the worry in her eyes. "What will you do if I tell you? After all…my brother has a lethal temper."

Katsuya shook his head. "That's not true. He may have a temper but it's not lethal."

Noah scoffed. "If only you knew the truth…" Before the blond could ask what Noah meant, the gay man continued. "Look, all I'm saying is that you will get hurt if you keep going with him."

Katsuya shook his head. "I don't care what you say; I've seen the hurt behind his blue eyes. When I see that hurt and the longing for happiness…I can't turn away. You guys don't understand but…Seto needs my help and I need him in my life."

Riku's heart softened as she looked at her brother. She knew what it was like to be in love with a person that was unattainable from past experience. Next to her, Noah smirked. "Very nice. Here are the three things he told me years ago that is proof of love from him. You need to see him cry…you need to know everything about his past…and you need to be on top in bed."

Katsuya blushed at that last comment. Since she was used to this particular type of talk, Riku patted his brother's shoulder. "Then what are you waiting for?"

Katsuya cleared his throat. "Um…I guess I'll be going now."

Noah smirked. "You want a lift back to his place?" Katsuya opened his mouth to answer when a knock sounded at the backdoor and Noah smirked. "Never mind. I have a special visitor and I get charged extra for making him wait."

Katsuya blushed deeper and Riku pushed her brother out the door. "Don't make too much noise, Noah." Noah merely shrugged in response as Katsuya closed the door and looked at his sister. "I can't believe you put up with this."

Riku shrugged. "Like I said, it's a cheap place to live, even if it's temporary. Plus, the guys give me a lot of advice on guys and make-up. Now…go get your guy back."

Katsuya nodded slowly but hesitated to move. Riku gave him a smack upside the head and the blond took off down the road.

Having finished cleaning up his apartment, Kaiba sprawled out across his carpet. His mind was numb and his eyes were threatening to close. The day was stressful thanks to Mai making her unnecessary comment and Katsuya trying to help him. He did want to make things up with Katsuya but he did not know how he would do that since he had forgotten how to properly apologize. However, the main reason why he hesitated about apologizing because he did not want to get involved with the blond since he made the assessment that a relationship only led to heartbreak. He sighed, trying to clear his head. He just wanted to be left alone for the rest of the day. If it wasn't for Mai prancing around his living room lecturing him about his short-fuse temper, he would have gotten his wish. He had plenty of practice of ignoring her. Mai, however, knew that he was ignoring him and continued to talk in order to annoy her brother. Kaiba was about to tell her to shut her mouth when there was a knock at the door. Seeing this as the safe way to escape, he quickly got up and went to the door. When he opened it, there stood Naoki and Tetsuya. The brunette raised his eyebrow. "Who the hell are you guys?"

Naoki stood up tall. "Friends of Katsuya."

Kaiba groaned in disgust, immediately regretting that he answered the door. Looking over his shoulder, Mai smirked. "Hey, Naoki!"

Tetsuya and Kaiba gave the guitarist a strange look, who shook his head. "I don't know this chick."

Mai smirked. "No…but my roomie knows you. Remember Lily? You still owe her money."

Naoki blushed deeply. Swallowing his hurt look, Tetsuya looked at Kaiba. "We need to talk to you about your relationship with Katsuya."

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "What relationship? He keeps barging in on me and I keep kicking him out."

Naoki glared. "Uh huh, and your way of kicking him out is sleeping with him?"

Seeing Kaiba's twinge of guilt, Mai smacked him upside the head. "You don't deserve to look guilty!"

Kaiba pushed her away with his hand on her face. "What do you two intend to do to me? You pipsqueaks can't even lay a finger on me."

Tetsuya glared and Naoki growled. "We're just giving you a warning. If you hurt Katsuya again, you will live to regret it."

Kaiba's anger melted from his face. "Then you have to tell him to never see me again. With my temper and my past…I will always hurt him, even if I believe that I did not."

Tetsuya tilted his head in surprise at the brunette's answer. Naoki, on the other hand, did not waver. "That's fine with me. I don't like you and I think that Katsuya is heading for trouble hanging around you."

"Well, it's my mistake, if it is truly one." All four turned to see Katsuya coming around the corner. The four had different looks on their faces. Tetsuya looked guilty; Naoki looked annoyed; Mai looked curious; Kaiba had his normal numb face on. Katsuya gave a small, sad smile. "Guys, I know you think that I'm making a mistake…but you don't see what I see. Yes, Seto's temper is dangerous…but he's not always like that. Seto is mean to most people…but I've seen him treat others worse than he treats me. Seto has anger in his eyes…but I see the sadness within them." Kaiba's eyes slightly widened for a brief second and Mai elbowed him with positivity as Katsuya continued. "Because of those three things and other reasons I can't explain…I intend to keep seeing him like this. Naoki, Tetsuya, if you don't like it…I can move out."

The two friends looked at each other and then at the singer. Tetsuya smiled softly. "Katsuya, we're just worried about you. We know what it's like to see you depressed."

Naoki nodded. "We don't want to see that again. We're just warning Kaiba to not hurt you like that."

Katsuya smiled brightly. "Don't worry…I have lots of friends to bring me up if I become depressed like that."

Naoki nodded and led the bass guitarist down the stairs. "We should get back. Aya and Katie want to talk about recording times."

Katsuya nodded. "Wait for me down there. I'll just be a minute."

His friends nodded and went down the stairs. Mai looked at her brother. "You got lucky with this kid."

Kaiba shook his head. "You're delusional."

Mai smirked. "Just give him a chance. He could probably do more than that young one."

Kaiba's eyes looked down and he sighed deeply, not wanting to answer. Mai smiled and left, patting the blond's back. "You have your work cut out for you."

Katsuya nodded and went up to the brunette. "Is your place cleaned up?"

Kaiba nodded. "You should probably head off with your friends. Making recording times is extremely important."

Katsuya's eyes lit up. "Does that mean you accept me and my band?"

Kaiba scoffed. "No, I don't. But I know better than go against the word of Aya or Katie. I learned that the hard way."

Katsuya chuckled. "Well, I guess I should be going. But before I go…did you mean what you said about hating me?"

Kaiba looked at the blond and could see the hurt behind his eyes. His body moved on his own and he embraced the blond in a protective embrace. Katsuya gasped quietly at the feeling of the brunette's arms around his back. He was too stunned to respond to the hug. Kaiba whispered into the blond's ears, "If you intend to be around me, you must be ready for those statements. My temper makes me say things that are directed to another person."

Katsuya nodded, realizing that those statements were the closest that he would get to an apology. "So…can you kiss me before I go?"

Kaiba reverted back to his numb self as he pulled the blond away from him. "Don't push it, kid."

Katsuya pouted. "Why not?"

Kaiba wrinkled his nose. "You smell like my brother's brothel…and I hate that smell."

Katsuya laughed softly. "All right. If I come back without the smell, will you kiss me?"

"Depends on how much you piss me off."

Katsuya laughed. He then kissed Kaiba's cheek and left to join his friends. Kaiba sighed again and went back into his apartment, muttering, "What did I get myself into?"


	17. Career and Heart Building

Chapter 17

Career and Heart Building

Naoki and Tetsuya were waiting in Tetsuya's Jeep when Katsuya skipped down the stairs. Naoki raised his eyebrow and Tetsuya smirked in amusement. "Things go well up there?"

Katsuya got in the back to vehicle. "Yep, things are better."

Naoki looked back at the singer. "You sure about him?"

Katsuya nodded. "Yes, I am…and nothing you say or do can do anything to persuade me otherwise."

Kyoto's voice sounded out behind the vehicle. "What about what I say?"

The three friends turned around to see Kyoto leaning against the rear of the Jeep. Tetsuya growled. "Get your ass off my car."

Kyoto smirked and looked at the blond singer. "You getting cozy with Kawasaki?"

Katsuya crossed his arms. "I don't know any Kawasaki. Did all the electricity you used to style your hair fry your brain?"

Kyoto gave the Jeep a smack. "Very funny. I cannot believe this…I know more about your lover than you do."

Katsuya growled as Tetsuya kept him down. "Don't get in trouble, bud."

Katsuya glared at Kyoto, as the rival singer crossed his arms. "Blondie is already in trouble…for being around a murderer."

Naoki and Tetsuya's eyes grew wide with shock. Katsuya stood up and jumped out of the Jeep with the intentions of fighting Kyoto again. Kyoto gave a proud smirk but it quickly vanished with the sudden hit of raw egg. The clear, gooey substance ran down his hair as Katsuya covered his mouth to hide his smile. Both singers looked up to see Kaiba leaning over the railing with an open carton of eggs in his hand. Kyoto growled. "Kawasaki, you're dead!"

Kaiba smirked evilly. "Did I ruin your precious hair? Well, it's just scratching the surface of your punishment!"

Kyoto sneered and wiped the goop from his forehead. "Say what you want…you can never have the proof you need!" That statement was met with an egg to the face. Glaring daggers, Kaiba gestured to Katsuya to leave. "You don't want to be late to your appointment." Katsuya nodded and got back in the Jeep and the vehicle drove off. Kyoto growled at Kaiba. "You and your hubby will never get in my way!" The punk rocker stormed off but not before Kaiba threw another egg at the back of his head.

When they pulled into the parking area of their apartment, Tetsuya did not have time to turn off the engine. Kaiyuki and Toya were waiting for them against a white Mercedes. The passenger window rolled down and sunglasses-wearing Aya peeked out. "Where have you guys been? We've been waiting for a while now."

Naoki gestured towards Katsuya. "This one had to make a few trips to his lethal lover."

Aya tilted her head. "Who?"

Katsuya blushed. "Uh, when shall we go record 'Musical Knife'?"

Katie peeked out next to Aya. "Right now. In fact, we're about an hour behind schedule."

Kaiyuki smirked. "Can't rush talent?"

Aya giggled. "That's true. Don't forget, Katie. I was a week late with my first recording."

Katie rolled her eyes. "That's different. You were sick with the flu."

Toya fanned himself with his fan. "Nevertheless, we should get going and record."

Aya nodded. "Good. Now Katsuya, you better be in top form or I'm going to get you."

Katsuya tilted his head. "You're coming?"

Aya giggled. "Oh…you'll see."

About an hour later, _Drowning Heaven_ was at the studio. Kaiyuki and Toya had already recorded their sections of the song since they were the background and the smallest session to be recorded. Naoki and Tetsuya were currently in the studio, playing their guitars for the song. Katsuya and Aya were waiting for the singer's turn to record. The blond was the first to break the ice. "So…do you have any tips for singing?

Aya started to think. "Hm…well, definitely don't get distracted. When I was starting out, I was self-conscious about people listening to me."

Katsuya gave his idol a look of shock. "You…self-conscious?"

Aya nodded. "I was not used to people looking and listening. I was constantly wondering if people were judging me, either about my singing or about the fact that I was singing out in public."

Katsuya laughed. "You do that too, huh?"

Aya shrugged innocently. "Guilty as charged. I wonder if-" The blast of sudden music from the next studio interrupted her. Aya rolled his eyes. "Oh gods, what's he doing here? He told me that he wouldn't record for another few days."

Katsuya covered his ears and went to the next studio with the intention of telling the next band to stop the music. For some unknown reason, he felt that the music that was playing sounded slightly familiar. However, he could not put his finger on where he heard the music before. Finding the studio that the music was emulating from, he burst in and stopped when he saw who was singing in the soundproof section of the studio. It was Kaiba, singing at the top of the lungs. Katsuya finally realized why the music sounded familiar: it was the song 'Rage' and the blond had heard part of it as he left to confront the brunette. Watching his love, he noticed that Kaiba was full of anger.

Still singing, Kaiba saw Katsuya and growled. "Stop! Stop the music!"

The recorder stopped the music and went to go on a coffee break. Kaiba ripped off his earphones and tossed them onto the floor. "What the hell do you want?"

Katsuya went into the recording section with him. "You're interrupting my recording session."

Kaiba gave a sneer. "You think I care about you and your band?"

Katsuya smirked. "You care about me."

"I didn't say that."

Katsuya rolled his eyes. "Whatever. What are you doing here?"

Kaiba leaned against the wall. "I had to record this song today."

Katsuya glared. "You should have waited; you're getting in the way of my recording."

Kaiba shook his head. "Like I said, I don't care…and this is the only time that I could have sung this song with these emotions."

Katsuya realized what the brunette was talking about. "Ah…you're talking about him, aren't you?"

Kaiba growled viciously. Before the blond could realize what he was doing, Katsuya blurted out, "Why did he call you a murderer?"

Kaiba froze and his face lost all emotions. That act made Katsuya very uncomfortable, for the face was neither denying not acknowledging. The blond wanted the man he loved to say that Kyoto was lying or even that Kyoto was mistaking Kaiba for another person. Instead, the brunette merely stated, "You should get back to Katie; she's probably wondering where you are."

Katsuya shook his head. "No! I want to know the truth about Kyoto's accusation!"

Kaiba shook his head, his anger raising. "Don't bring this up again! You will never know!"

Katsuya stamped his foot like a child. "I want to know! I won't tell anyone!"

Kaiba gripped the blond's arm and tossed him out of the recording room. The smaller singer landed at the feet of the recorder, who was clearly confessed by what happened. "Um…Mr. Kaiba?"

Kaiba growled. "Get him out of here."

The recorder nodded and picked up Katsuya. "Come on, you. It's time to go; Mr. Kaiba has a lot of work to do."

As he was being led out, the blond looked at the brunette. "Can you come visit me when you're done with your recording?"

Kaiba just shrugged. Knowing that this was a typical answer for Kaiba, Katsuya smiled. "Wish me luck."

Kaiba merely flipped him off as the blond left.

Back in the recording studio with Aya, Katsuya was getting ready to record his singing. However, Aya had a few questions she had to ask. "Was that Seto?"

Katsuya looked at her. "You knew that it was him?"

Aya shrugged. "I thought I recognized that music."

Katsuya started to try to relax his nerves so that he could sing properly. Aya started to fidget with her fingers. "Um…is he coming by?"

Katsuya looked at his friend/associate. "I don't know; he just shrugged. Are you all right?"

Aya blushed. "Um…well…"

Before she could answer, Katie came in. "Katsuya, you need to get in and record."

Katsuya nodded and went into the recording section. When the recorder gave him the signal, the blond began to sing 'Musical Knife.' Aya went out of the view of Katsuya so that she would not distract him with what she was doing. She pulled out a journal and started to work on song lyrics. Listening to Katsuya sing, Aya tried to work but she was stuck on what subject to write about. She knew that she had to beat her current CDs; she wanted to give her fans a new and more powerful experience. However, she sighed and tossed her pencil away in frustration. To her surprise, the pencil flew back to her. She jumped in surprise and looked up to see Kaiba standing there. "Still having trouble?"

Aya nodded. "Yes…and you're not exactly helping."

Kaiba looked at Katsuya, who smiled in delight. The blond waved and pointed to the microphone. The brunette rolled his eyes and sat in the seat behind the recorder as Katsuya started to sing the song once again. Kaiba looked at Aya. "How could I help? Not that I care."

Aya rolled her eyes. "You got mad at me when I told you that some of my songs were dedicated to you."

Kaiba crossed his arms and scowled. "Of course I got mad. You wrote about me without my permission."

Aya ran her fingers through her hair. "I wasn't planning to tell you. You figured it out."

"How could anyone not? You keep staring at me all the time, wanting to know more about me, and you giggle all the time when I say things."

Aya giggled. "If you let me write songs about you, I'll stop giggling at you."

Kaiba grunted a "fine" and left in a huff. Seeing him leave, Katsuya stopped singing mid-song and went out. "Wait, where are you going?"

Aya smiled. "Ah, he's just having a bad day."

Katsuya looked at her. "But he's always like this."

Aya nodded as Toya looked in. "Are you done already?"

The recorder shook his head. "I want him to sing a few more times so that we can get the best for the single."

Tetsuya peeked in under Toya. "You better hurry. We're going to the pizza place across the road. Want us to reserve anything for you?"

Katsuya smiled. "Just leave me some slices and breadsticks."

Aya came up behind the blond and gave him a wallet. "Here, use Seto's money."

Tetsuya grinned. "Sweet! Free food!"

He and Toya left as Katsuya shook his head. "I refuse to steal from him!"

Aya nodded. "I know what you mean. But…I have something else that you can do with his wallet." She pulled out a wallet-sized picture of Katsuya performing at the HeavyMetal Amazon and gave both the picture and wallet to the blond. "Put your picture in it."

Katsuya grinned and opened the wallet. However, he stopped when he saw the picture that was already in the photo section. It was the picture of a young boy with long black hair, dark-gray eyes, and a pout on his face. He was wearing blue pants and a long-sleeved white shirt. He was sitting against a blue pillow and cuddling a yellow lab toy. Katsuya recognized the toy as the toy that Kaiba had in his apartment. Aya looked at the picture and sighed. "Poor Seto…he just won't let him go."

Katsuya looked at her in confusion. "Who is he?"

Aya just took Katsuya's picture and put it behind the child's picture. "When he's ready to let him go, Seto will be able to see you."

Closing the wallet, Katsuya was about to ask against about who the child was when Kaiba burst in and snatched his wallet away. "You two didn't take my money, did you?"

Aya shook her head. "No, we didn't."

Kaiba nodded and left in a hurry. Katsuya was even more curious about the one he loved as the recorder directed him back into the recording studio.


	18. Blond Means Go, Brown Means Gone

**Author's note: Please give me reviews; I really enjoy getting feedback.**

Chapter 18

Blond Means Go, Brown Means Gone

After the recording was over, Katsuya shook his hair out to get the feeling of the headphones off his head. The recorder gave him the thumbs-up and Katie came in. "Good job, Katsuya. We'll take care of the rest."

Katsuya nodded and gestured for Katie to come closer. When she complied, the blond asked, "When can we be able to go on tour?"

Katie sighed. "Well, we have to get this song out there to the public. That will take time."

Katsuya squirmed in a childlike pout. "But I wanna go on the road!"

Katie rolled her eyes. "You will have to be patient, young man."

Katsuya crossed his arms. "Who you calling young man? We're the same age."

They then heard Aya start to laugh. The raven-haired singer poked her head in and shook her head. "She may look young but she's really close to my age."

Katsuya raised his eyebrow. "How can that be? She looks my age and you say she's around 26, like you."

Blushing deeply with embarrassment, Katie pushed Katsuya out of the recording studio. "Why don't you go and meet with your friends. The recorders will start to work on the song."

Aya smiled. "What's wrong with embracing your age, Katie?"

Still blushing, Katie pushed both of the singers out into the hallway and shut the door. Aya giggled. "She always hates it when I talk about her age."

Katsuya shrugged. "I don't get it when people do that. Well, I need to join my friends for some lunch. Care to join us?"

Aya shook her head. "I can't. I have a lot of work to do. But I'll be seeing you around." With that, she quickly left. Katsuya raised his eyebrow at her behavior but his hunger prevented him from following her.

At the pizza parlor, Katsuya entered, inhaling the warm smell of the food. He looked around and saw that there were a lot of couples out on a date. He sighed, feeling jealous of those couples for being able to go on dates when he had a hard time making the man he loved to admit his feelings. Thinking back to Kaiba, his mind returned to the picture of the young boy that was in his lover's wallet. His mind started to race a mile a minute as he started to wonder who the child was to the vicious brunette. He could not understand why Kaiba had no pictures of anyone in his apartment and yet kept a picture of that child in his wallet.

Out of nowhere, Naoki appeared behind the blond and smacked him upside the head. Katsuya winced in pain. "Hey, what the hell?"

Naoki pulled him to a booth where their friends were waiting. Tetsuya had his head on the table. "When is the food getting here?"

Toya chuckled and fanned himself. "Settle yourself, my friend. The pizza will get here soon."

Katsuya slid in with Naoki sliding in next to him. "What type did you order?"

Before anyone could answer, Kaiyuki pointed to the television. Everyone looked at it as Toya gestured with his thumb for the bartender to turn up the volume. The bartender complied and the five friends listened to what was being said. The show that was currently on was a show about entertainment news. The young blond man who was obviously the host had just finished speaking about a movie and was moving onto the segment about music. "Well, it would appear that three bands are on the tip of people's tongues, the first being the band _Rage Inside_."

Katsuya lifted his head and paid close attention. A clip of _Rage Inside_ music video for 'Mirror Image' dominated the screen with the host's voice still being heard over the music. "It was announced two days ago that Seto Kaiba is postponing the release of the new CD and the tour, on account of writer's block."

Katsuya felt his jaw drop and his eyes widen. Kaiba had never made any mention of this to the blond. Katsuya had not thought to ask him about it but he immediately began to kick himself for not doing so. Sensing what the singer was thinking, Kaiyuki shook his head. "There's no way you could have known."

Katsuya rested his head in his hands. "But I could have made him feel better."

Naoki scoffed. "Right, like you would've made him feel anything. The guy only has two emotions: numb and anger."

Still watching the program, Toya shushed everyone and turned their attention back to the screen, where the host stated, "…and on a side note for _Rage Inside_, the singer of _Last Resort_, Kyoto, has put up a personal challenge to Seto Kaiba."

The screen changed to show a video of Kyoto, whose face made Katsuya growl. The effeminate male smirked with confidence. "Seto Kaiba, or rather Seto Kawasaki, I challenge you and your band to a concert duel. Your band and my superior band will each perform two songs for the audience. The first one will be our headlining song. The second one, however…will be a song that will invoke emotions in the audience. The duel will be two weeks from today." He then pulled Numora onto his lap and hugged him. "I'll be seeing you…Kawasaki."

As the video ended, the blond's friends turned to the singer, obviously confused by the mention of Kawasaki. Katsuya shrugged. "Don't look at me. I don't get why that idiot calls Seto that."

Kaiyuki's eyes slightly widened and he pointed to the screen again. This time, the screen showed a clip of _Drowning Heaven_ performing their song. The host began his speech. "As newcomers go, the band _Drowning Heaven_ has definitely made impressions in teenage girls all over the city. Their single has been preordered dozens of times. I must say, I am impressed by their performance opening for _Last Resort_. But they still have a long way to go before they match with _Death Becomes Me_, _Rage Inside_, and _Last Resort_."

The pepperoni pizza came as the host of the show moved onto another form of entertainment. Naoki smirked. "You hear that, boys? We made an impression. From here, it's all a cake walk."

He started to dive for the pizza when he realized that a slice and Katsuya were gone. The four looked up just in time to see the blond run out the door. Kaiyuki smiled a mysterious smile. "Off to see his knight in shining armor, no doubt."

Naoki groaned in disgust. "Sometimes I just don't get the guy." His friends nodded in agreement.

Paying the taxi driver, Katsuya got out and smiled at the apartment building where Kaiba dwelled. He was proud of what was said about his band. He was also excited about the contest between his lover and their enemy. He just knew that the brunette would triumph over the stuck up singer and put him in his place. Giggling from that image, he headed up to the desired floor. When he arrived at the door, he knocked and waited with his hands clasped behind his back. The door opened and Katsuya immediately hugged the person. "Hello, my love."

To the blond's surprise, Kevin's voice sounded. "Um…Seto's not here."

Eyes extra wide, Katsuya quickly backed away to the railing. "Oh my gods! I am so sorry, Kevin! I thought you were Seto!"

Kevin giggled and struck an effeminate pose. "I hope not; I'm too pretty to be like him."

Katsuya rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure. Where's Seto?"

Kevin gave a mock shock. "Wait a minute. Are you saying that I'm not pretty?"

Katsuya nodded and tried to look over Kevin's shoulder. "Yes, you are pretty. Now where's Seto?"

Kevin started to act coy. "Oh I don't know if I should let you in…"

Before Katsuya could protest, Seth appeared behind Kevin and hugged his lover, making the dancer giggle with delight. Seth looked at the singer. "Kaiba's not here. He left."

Katsuya's shoulders slumped. "Left? For where?"

Seth shrugged. "To his place of solitude, where he goes whenever he needs to work on lyrics. With the challenge from Kyoto looming over his head, he needs to prepare something to win."

Katsuya smiled. "So he is taking on Kyoto."

Kevin nodded. "Well, duh! Seto needs to put Kyoto in his place! He's been aching to do that for years."

Hearing this, Katsuya tilted his head. "That reminds me. Why does Kyoto call Seto Kawasaki?"

Kevin started to remember. "It's his real name but I know it's not a name that he likes."

Katsuya started to get uncomfortable for an unknown reason. "Why doesn't he like his last name?"

Kevin shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I doubt even his own siblings know why."

"Another thing…why did Kyoto call Seto a murderer?"

Kevin and Seth froze at that question and the singer knew immediately that they knew the answer. Seth pushed Kevin inside and looked at the other blond. "That is not for us to tell. Kaiba will tell you when he is ready."

Katsuya sighed and nodded. "So…when does he come back?"

Seth smirked. "He's coming back the night before the duel. Come back then…I think he will be happy to see you."

Katsuya giggled at the statement and happily went downstairs to head for home. Kevin wrapped his arms around his lover's waist. "You think Seto will ever tell him?"

Seth shrugged. "I'm not the right person to ask."

Across town, _Rage Inside_ had gathered at the tattoo parlor where Kaiba in a sleeveless shirt, laying out on his stomach with his arms spread, was getting his arms covered with tattoos. He was in a lot of pain from the tattoos but tried his best to ignore it. His left upper arm had a large, red X with a black outline. Below his elbow was a two-inch band that was not solid but made up of blocks, as if the tattoo was a bracelet. The tattoo artist was currently working on Kaiba's upper right arm. Brandon shook his head. "Kaiba, you've done a lot of stupid things in your life but I think this is a stupidest."

Sean shook his head. "I don't think so."

Brandon gave the guitarist a look. "That's because you're a tattoo addict."

Andrew groaned in frustration. "Can we go through one day without arguing?"

Kaiba winced and looked at the drummer. "I doubt that…but we are merely acting out our band's name."

Andrew sat up on the counter. "That reminds me: what songs are we going use at the band duel against that idiot?"

Kaiba smirked at Andrew's nickname for his arch-nemesis. "We have a couple of songs to choose from. Give them to me and I'll make the decisions."

Brandon scratched the back of his head. "Well, do we want to choose one of our singles or another song from our first CD?"

Sean pointed out, "Hairball said that we would use our front songs. They only have one while we have four to choose from."

Andrew nodded. "I vote against 'Loving Hate.' While it's a good song, it's not hardcore enough or emotional enough either."

Brandon leaned against the wall. "What about 'Mirror Image'?"

Kaiba shook his head as the artist finished the design. In the middle was a demonic butterfly, surrounded by red flames. The rest of his upper arm was covered with thick thorns, as if the butterfly was perched on a dying tree. As the artist started a new design, Kaiba explained why he shook his head. "That was one of the first songs I ever wrote and I think we have better songs to perform."

Brandon raised his eyebrow. "You don't want to use that song…even considering it's your life motto?"

Kaiba growled and Brandon looked away. He knew he was trudging on thin ice and he now knew that he should drop the subject of the song. Sean got an idea. "What about 'Nowhere to Run'?"

This time, Andrew shook his head. "That won't work since Ms. Man might reveal the ties between him and Kaiba."

Kaiba nodded. "Andrew's right. Looks like we better stick with 'Rage.'"

Andrew grinned. "That's great! We're all set then!"

Brandon smacked the drummer upside the head. "No, we're not, you idiot. We still have one song left to think of."

Andrew rubbed his head as Sean scratched the back of his head. "The trouble is we don't have songs that invoke other emotions other than release of rage."

Kaiba nodded. "Good point. I guess we have a lot of work ahead of us. Hey Andrew, can you get out my wallet so I can pay the guy?"

Andrew nodded and pulled out the wallet from Kaiba's back pocket. As the artist was finishing up a tattoo bracelet made of barb wire below the right elbow, the drummer opened the wallet and a folded piece of paper fell out. Sean picked it up and opened it. What appeared to be a song was written on the paper in crayon. They knew immediately that Kaiba did not write this because the writing style was that of a child. Brandon put the paper in front of the singer. "What's this?"

Because the artist was working on a skeletal butterfly on his left wrist, Kaiba had to grab the paper with his right hand. "It's nothing."

Seeing the picture of the child, Sean figured it out. "He wrote it, didn't he?"

Kaiba just nodded. Brandon patted the singer's shoulder. "You should consider turning that poem into a song. It'll be a good way to have his memory stay alive."

Kaiba sighed. "I'll think about it…"


	19. Guitars Played and Secrets Displayed

Chapter 19

Guitars Played and Secrets Displayed

During the two weeks that Kaiba was away preparing, Katsuya was antsy and lonely. He wanted to go back and be in Kaiba's arms, even if the brunette did not want him around. His friends tried to keep him occupied so that he can think of something other than Kaiba. Katsuya appreciated what his friends were doing but his mind was owned by Kaiba. He wanted to know where his love was and wanted to help the brunette.

At the end of the first week, Katsuya was laying across the couch, hugging a pillow and thinking about Kaiba. Toya appeared over him. "Still thinking about him?"

The blond nodded. "All the time."

From the kitchen, Tetsuya listened in as Toya sat on the couch with Katsuya's legs on his lap. "You know, the boys and I want to know what you see in Kaiba."

Katsuya sighed. "I can see the pain behind his blue eyes."

Toya tilted his head. "Pain? What kind?"

Katsuya looked at the ceiling. "I don't know how to describe it…but it's always there."

Toya rested his chin on the back of his hand. "Is that the only reason you're around…to cure him of his pain?"

Katsuya looked at the effeminate man. "What do you mean?"

"Well, say you cure the pain that you see in him. Will you want to be around him after that?"

"Of course I do. What would you think otherwise?"

Toya shrugged. "I was merely asking a question."

Katsuya crossed his arms. "Look, the pain in his eyes just got my attention. What else I feel about him…it's hard to describe. I just know that I want him all to myself…for the rest of my life."

Toya smiled and pushed the blond off the couch. Rubbing his head in pain, the singer looked at his friend. "What was that for?"

Toya pointed to Katsuya's room. "Get in there and finish that song you started for Kaiba."

Katsuya quickly remembered the song 'Freedom'and ran to his room, closing the door behind him. Tetsuya looked at Toya. "Do you accept their relationship?"

Toya leaned his head back. "First off, they don't have a traditional relationship since Kaiba doesn't have feelings for Katsuya…that I know of."

Tetsuya tilted his head. "Then why…?"

Toya smiled. "I'm into any kind of romance that involves two people…especially when it comes to unattainable love. You know what I mean, Tetsuya?"

The bassist blushed deeply, making Toya chuckle.

By the time Katsuya finally finished his new song, Kaiba was back in his apartment. The brunette was in the bathroom, shirtless and jeans unzipped. He looked like a mess compared to his usual demeanor. He studied his reflection in his new mirror carefully, paying close attention to his tattoos. He did not know why he decided to get more of them but he knew that he was now stuck with them. Focusing on the tattoo of the X, he rubbed it softly. "Always there…"

He looked at the rest of his tattoos and groaned at remembering the pain. Just then, there was a knock on the door. Thinking it was Seth or Kevin, Kaiba groaned. "Go away! Spoil your own countertop!"

He then heard Katsuya, "Seto, it's me."

Kaiba groaned loudly in frustration. Zipping up his pants and putting on a collared shirt without buttoning it. Grumbling, he went to the door and opened it. Katsuya stood there in an all white outfit, blushing at the sight of Kaiba's bare chest. Kaiba growled. "What do you want?"

Still staring at the bare chest of his lover, the blond came into the apartment. "Um…I, uh…missed you…while you were…gone."

Kaiba rolled his eyes and slammed the door, breaking Katsuya out of his trance. "This is not the night to be bothering me. I have to prep for tomorrow."

Katsuya grimaced. "Yeah…that jerk challenged you."

Kaiba smirked. "I'm surprised a blond like you could remember yesterday, let alone two weeks ago."

Katsuya growled as Kaiba went to his living room and laid out across the couch. Blushing, Katsuya followed him. "Seto…where did you go?"

Kaiba scoffed. "What makes you think I will tell you?"

Katsuya crossed his arms. "When you took my virginity, you made me a part of your life."

Kaiba growled and pulled Katsuya down so he could look the blond square in the eye. "Get it through your head! I only took your virginity because it was the only way to get you to go away!"

Katsuya stiffened his lips to keep them from quivering. "Well, I'm here to stay! Get used to that!"

Kaiba gritted his teeth. "I refuse to get used to it! I don't want you in my life! You shake the solid ground that I built for years!"

Katsuya took that sentence into another light. "Does that mean that I'm melting your stone heart?"

Kaiba could not believe what he just heard. He meant that the blond was starting to reveal the brunette's weak side, a side that Kaiba vowed to never let out again. However, he figured that Katsuya was too blond to understand such a statement. The taller singer loosened his grip and Katsuya took the opportunity. He got on his knees and hugged the brunette, putting his head on his love's chest. Kaiba rolled his eyes. "Do you mind?"

Blushing deeply, Katsuya looked at Kaiba with stars in his eyes. "Actually…I do."

The next morning, Kaiba's cell phone woke up both him and Katsuya. As the brunette picked up the call, Katsuya rolled over and draped his arms around his love. Last night was almost as good as his first time. The only difference was the blond did not feel as much pain since he was now used to the sensations. His only disappointment was that their exhaustion prevented them from going longer than they did. Listening to the brunette, Katsuya figured that he was talking to one of his band members. Waiting for the brunette to finish talking, the blond decided to examine the tattoos. His favorite was the burning butterfly. But he started to wonder what the X meant. However, his thoughts were interrupted when Kaiba closed his phone and got up. Katsuya whined. "Where are you going, baby?"

Kaiba growled. "Don't call them that. I have a lot on my mind."

Katsuya laid back with his finger laced behind his head. "No need to worry. You will rip that loser apart."

Kaiba smirked. "Tell me something I don't know."

Gathering up his clothes, Katsuya started to dress on the bed. "You do know I'm coming with you, right?"

Kaiba was putting on black jeans and a black sleeveless shirt, showing off all of his tattoos. "I beg to differ. You are not getting in the middle of this fight."

"Why not? I want to see you kick his butt."

"Because this doesn't concern you."

Now fully dressed, Katsuya stood up in a huff. "Yes, it does. The one I love is going up against our enemy and I want to be there in your triumph."

Kaiba groaned. "Fine. If it makes you stop complaining to me, I'll take you."

Katsuya giggled and have the brunette a hug, making Kaiba cringe.

A while later, Katsuya was standing alone backstage of the HeavyMetal Amazon. _Last Resort_ was on stage, performing 'Run With Wings' for the crowd. He could hear the crowd cheering and he had a flashback to his first concert. He rubbed his arms to ease the goosebumps that were forming. He looked at Kaiba who was briefing his band members on what they would do. Curiosity getting the best of him, the blond peeked out at the performing band.

Yin was dressed in a similar outfit to Kaiba but in a white shirt while Cota was in jeans and a black shirt. Numora was in his usual attire of extra large jeans and black shirt. With his hair, eye makeup, and four metal chains hanging from his neck, Kyoto stood out even without his tight jeans and tight red shirt. He remained in the center of the stage, doing small movements and jerks while singing. He only moved over to Numora, who kissed him and smiled when Kyoto sang. Kaiba came up behind Katsuya. 'What do you think?"

Katsuya shrugged. "Kyoto isn't bad when it comes to singing…but it's his attitude."

Kaiba smirked, proud that the blond was able to figure it out. "Go on."

Katsuya stared at Kyoto as he finished singing and listened to the crowd roar for his band, grinning from ear to ear. "His pride is showing way too much."

As the lights dimmed and _Last Resort_ filed off the stage, Kyoto flipped off Kaiba. "Beat that, loser."

Kaiba hissed. "I'll do better than beat you. Just watch." As Sean and Andrew went out to their respectable places and started a tune, Katsuya wanted to give the brunette a kiss on the cheek but Kaiba merely covered the blond's face with his hand. "Don't even think about it."

Katsuya sighed but kissed the brunette's palm as Brandon headed out. "Good luck…babe."

Kaiba looked at the blond with a blank look. "Yeah, whatever." With that, he went out on the stage, relishing in the cheers and encouraging screams. Kyoto growled. "Pompous swine…"

Katsuya ignored his rival and watched Kaiba work the crowd with 'Rage.' The blond could not believe what he was seeing. _Rage Inside_ clearly beat _Last Resort_ in how they were performing. Andrew may have been sitting down but his drumming skills were incredible. His arms were moving across the drums quickly, making his music heard throughout the entire club. Acting also as the backup singer, he brought good balance to Kaiba's singing.

Brandon and Sean seemed to bring Cota and Numora to shame. Like Tetsuya, Brandon stayed in his area so that his bass would not rock and disrupt his music. However, his aura was completely different from Katsuya's bassist. Brandon seemed to be a man possessed with his wild eyes and crazed grin. Sean was the opposite of Brandon's demeanor but he was still alive compared to Numora. He was watching Kaiba and looking at the crowds on the second floor. He has the fastest fingers over his guitar and Katsuya was glad that Naoki was not around, for he would definitely be jealous.

Despite Katsuya's attempts to watch the entire band, his eyes kept coming back to Kaiba, who was a different person than Katsuya was used to. The true definition for the brunette performing was…on fire. Kaiba used the entire stage for his performance, running around, singing directly to the crowd, and screaming at the crowd to use their energy to the max. He even had the crowd sing a few lines of the chorus. Katsuya was extremely impressed by what he was seeing and so was the crowd, who were singing with Kaiba and jumping up and down.

Towards the end of the song, Kaiba started to sing of how rage burns all, fire effects lit up around the entire stage, lighting up the entire stage and increasing the energy in the club ten times more than it was a minute ago. The four performers were affected by the flames as well. They began to sweat profusely but they also gave out more energy in their performances. At the end of the song, a final stream of fire appeared as Kaiba screamed in his fury and the crowd cheered. Katsuya cheered as Kyoto growled. "I won't let him beat me."

Katsuya glared at the rival as the stage went dark and _Last Resort_ went out as _Rage Inside_ came backstage. As they passed, Kaiba and Kyoto gave each other death glares that made the blond cringe. As _Last Resort_ prepared for the next song, Kaiba looked at Katsuya. "You still here?"

The blond nodded. "Of course. It's not over until you beat him with your emo song."

Kaiba rolled his eyes but he froze when _Last Resort_ started the music for their emotional song. The two looked out and listened to Kyoto's introduction to the song. "This song…has personal meaning to me. It was written after I lost a dear friend of mine. And I hope that…this song provides a message to everyone around the world. It's called 'Not the Answer.'" He then began to sing a sad song that spoke of a person pleading for someone to not commit suicide.

To Katsuya's surprise, Numora was looking at his lover with a look of worry and concern. The blond soon understood why; Kyoto appeared sad and almost tired in his body language. It was apparent that Kyoto was carrying a heavy burden on his shoulders from this song. The blond wondered what could have happened in Kyoto's past to fully understand the depth of this song. Stealing a look at Kaiba, however, deepened his curiosity of the relationship between the two singers. Kaiba was growling as he appeared to be both annoyed and disgusted. He wanted to ask but the stage darkened and _Last Resort_ left the stage before the blond could ask. Wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, Kyoto gave a pitiful glare to Kaiba. "Surrender. You have nothing to beat that."

Kaiba took a swipe at the rocker. "Watch me, woman."

Numora held Kyoto close in comfort as _Rage Inside_ headed out to the stage. Katsuya looked at his rival. "What was that all about?"

Kyoto glared at the blond. "You have no idea…what it's like…"

Numora nuzzled his lover. "Don't bother explaining it to a blond. Just relish in our victory…and his memory."

Kyoto nodded as Katsuya looked out onto the stage at Kaiba. To both his and the two lovers' surprise, a mellow tune sprang from Sean and Brandon's instruments. Andrew appeared nervous and Kaiba…was completely different from the first song. Instead of on fire, he was mellow and sad, even sadder than Kyoto was for his song. Struggling to not break down, Kaiba spoke to the crowd. "This song…was written by my little brother…when I was going through a terrible time. Unfortunately…he is no longer with me." Katsuya could have sworn that the brunette glanced at Kyoto before continuing his introduction. "However…I always remember him…when I get on stage…and now…with this song…he will live forever…in all of you. This song is called…'Painful Truth.'"

Kyoto appeared shocked at what the brunette said. Kaiba then began to sing a heart-breaking song, making the crowd go completely silent. It spoke of life never being the same after a horrendous event, wanting to give up, and hanging on for, even if it was painful, the event could help the victim. The three other members of _Rage Inside_ seemed mellow in their performance, even though Brandon continued to appear possessed. Kaiba, though…he became a different man entirely. He appeared to be singing from the heart and deeply moved by what he was singing. Still watching the brunette, Katsuya was stunned to see that a few tears escaped Kaiba's eyes. Kyoto shook his head. "That's impossible…he swore to never use it!"

Numora looked at him. "In all fairness, you swore to never use 'Not the Answer.'"

Kyoto did not answer as _Rage Inside_ finished the song, creating a gigantic uproar from the crowd. It was apparent that _Rage Inside_ had won the duel. Letting his tears flow, Kaiba cried out, "Thank you, Mokuba!"

Kyoto growled viciously as the lights went down and the HeavyMetal Amazon was entertained by a DJ for the club goers. _Rage Inside_ headed off to the backstage, where Katsuya gave the brunette a big bear hug. "That was a beautiful song…I loved it."

Kaiba sighed and quickly wiped his eyes. "Glad you enjoyed."

Katsuya was about to say something else when Kyoto tried to attack Kaiba. He would have if Numora was not holding him back. "You liar! You swore to him that you would never use that song!"

Katsuya held Kaiba back but the brunette stared back at his rival. "Same to you, girly. You told the entire group that you did not want to sully his name by using his memory for money."

Kyoto knew that he was defeated but he did not want to go down without a fight. "Kawasaki…you haven't changed since that loony bin foster home!"

Kaiba growled. "Neither have you, sicko."

Katsuya looked first at Kaiba and then at Kyoto. He finally knew where the two rival singers had met and where their seeds of hate were planted. He still did not understand what the hate sprung from but he wanted to comfort the man he loved in any way he could so he hugged the brunette. Seeing this, Kyoto grimaced in disgust. "You're disgusting, Kawasaki…being with a man when you swore to never be with another guy…especially after your past."

Katsuya looked at the brunette, who sneered and growled, "Not as disgusting as sleeping with your own twin brother."

Immediately disgusted, Katsuya looked at Kyoto, who had to be restrained by Numora. "At least I don't go around, destroying lives by just living!"

Kaiba smirked. "Then you should have done what you stated in your song…killed yourself along with him!"

Kyoto screamed in rage and tried to break from Numora's grip with the intent of ripping the brunette apart. Kaiba wanted to attack Kyoto as well. He would have killed his rival if it wasn't for Katsuya holding him back. As _Last Resort_ dragged their singer away, Katsuya had a sinking feeling that things were only going to get worse.


	20. How much can one man take?

Chapter 20

How much can one man take?

Now relaxing in Kaiba's private room on the second floor, _Rage Inside_ and Katsuya were celebrating their victory. Sean was drinking straight scotch and playing his guitar, even though it could hardly be heard over the techno music on the main section. Brandon was drinking like a fiend and cussing out Kyoto and _Last Resort_. Andrew was dancing to the beat of the music. Katsuya was laughing at everyone but settled down when he looked at Kaiba. The brunette was swirling his martini, seemingly still steamed from the argument with Kyoto. He stared out into space, mouthing the theme to 'Painful Truth.' Curiosity getting him, Katsuya decided to be brave. "Um…Seto?"

The brunette looked at the blond without turning his head. "What do you want?"

Katsuya scratched the back of his head. "Um…wanna talk about the fight?"

Kaiba threw the drink at the blond's face and headed for the door. Though drunk, Brandon still had his honor. He grabbed the singer's shoulder. "What the hell was that?"

Seto pushed him down and stormed out onto the main dance floor. Before the door closed, Noah stumbled in, drunk and horny. He looked at his brother and scoffed. "What's his problem?"

Thanking Sean, Katsuya started to dry his head with a small towel. "It's my fault. I brought up the fight that he had with Kyoto."

Noah winced. "Ooh…those fights are never pleasant."

Brandon spoke up from the floor. "Kaiba will never forgive Kyoto for what he did."

Katsuya's ears perked up. "What did Kyoto do?"

Noah covered Brandon's mouth with his hand. "Remember what Seto told us: we do not talk about it until he finally gets the evidence he needs."

At this point, Katsuya was extremely curious but his cell phone vibrated before he could ask. He answered it and covered his other ear so he could hear. "Hello?"

Kaiyuki's voice sounded on the other end. "Katsuya, where are you?"

"At the HeavyMetal Amazon. Why?"

"Celebrating Kaiba's victory, huh?"

"How do you know?"

"Aya got us in and we watched the concert."

Katsuya did not know what to say at first. "Um…what do you guys think?"

Kaiyuki chuckled. "We were very impressed with Kaiba's band. Also, I have a note from Naoki. He understands what you mean by the pain in his eyes."

Katsuya smirked. "I'm glad he finally gets it."

Toya spoke up. "I must say, you have good taste."

Katsuya blushed. "Toya, give the phone back to Kaiyuki."

Tetsuya laughed. "Dude, you're on speaker phone. We can all hear you."

Katsuya chuckled. "Where the hell are you?"

Tetsuya answered, "We're on the way back to the apartment. You coming?"

"I will be. I'm going to hang out for a while." He wanted to add another comment but the music switched off from a commotion by the bar. The blond rolled his eyes for he recognized Kaiba and Kyoto's voices. "Guys, I gotta go. I'll be back as soon as I break up this fight." He closed his phone and went out to main dance floor. Kaiba and Kyoto were throwing glasses and yelling at each other. Seth held the brunette back and Numora held his brother back. Kyoto was screaming, "How dare you say that about Sam! You do not deserve to be saying his name!"

"Well, you should not be talking about Mokuba, you murderer!"

"You have no proof that I gave him the stuff!"

"Who else would have gotten him that stuff? You knew he was clean and you knew it would destroy me!"

"I did nothing, you fake! Get that through your head!"

"I will never forgive you!"

Fearing that Kaiba would kill Kyoto, Seth led the brunette out of the club. The music started up again and the other queers started dancing as if the fight never happened. Kyoto and Numora stayed at the bar. Ignoring his better judgment, Katsuya went to the bar and ordered a beer. Kyoto looked at the blond and got an idea. Numora stopped the singer. "Don't do anything stupid, babe."

Kyoto kissed his brother's temple. "Don't worry…I know what I'm doing. Go on home."

Numora was unconvinced but did as his lover brother told him. Katsuya leaned his back against the bar with his beer in hand and started to watch Kevin, who was just getting started with his dance routine. The dancer waved to the singer, who waved back. Kyoto groaned. "Ugh, what a fag that dancer is."

Katsuya glared at his rival. "Says a fag who screws his twin."

Kyoto growled. "Do not start with me. I am in no mood to get into another fight."

The blond slightly shrugged and took a drink, not in the mood to get into an argument either. Kyoto, though, kept his eyes on the blond with the wheels in his head turning. He gave a dark smirk and went to Katsuya. "So you and Kawasaki, huh?"

Katsuya shook his head. "I don't know this Kawasaki person."

Kyoto rolled his eyes. "You idiot, I thought you knew all about Kaiba."

Katsuya smiled. "I do…Kawasaki is who he was, not who he is."

Kyoto pretended to understand. "I see. Well, I think you and Kawasaki will be good together."

"What would you know? You two hate each other."

The punk singer pulled out a piece of paper. "Yeah…but I found this back stage and I think you would like to see this."

Katsuya took the paper and started to read it. The writing was in Kaiba's handwriting and the sentences that were on the paper said "I miss you so much. I want you in my life." Katsuya blushed as Kyoto shrugged. "I think he wanted to give it to you but lost the nerve."

Katsuya put the paper in his pocket. "Where is he?"

Kyoto shrugged. "I don't know…but you can wait for him at my inspiration apartment. His apartment is in view of my window; you can go when you see him arrive."

Katsuya had a bad feeling about following his enemy but he did want to have Kaiba in his life. Seeing no choice, the blond followed the other singer.

Half hour later, the two singers were drinking more. Kyoto had consumed more alcohol than the blond and walking around the room, talking almost non-stop. Katsuya sat on the couch and half-listened while swirling his glass of water. His mind was wrapped around the letter. Why could Kaiba express himself in a letter but not tell the blond to his face? He was snapped out of his thoughts when Kyoto said, "Why hasn't that jerk learned that I am innocent?"

Katsuya looked at Kyoto. "Innocent of what?"

"The overdose of his imaginary little brother, Mokuba."

The blond's eyes grew wide. "You mean that kid he has a picture of in his wallet?"

Kyoto nodded. "Yeah…not that I really care about either of them."

Katsuya shot up from his seat. "How can you say that? Seto obviously cared for Mokuba and his death has scarred his life!"

Kyoto rolled his eyes. "I highly doubt that a murderer can feel anything."

"Seto is not a murderer!"

Kyoto laughed. "Don't forget, blondie. I know your lover better than you do."

Katsuya growled. "You don't know what he is really like!"

"All I know is that he's a murderer, a fake, and a waste of flesh."

Too mad for words, Katsuya splashed his drink in Kyoto's face. His makeup ran down and his wet hair drooped. The now-wet singer wiped his eye before attacking Katsuya. They landed on the floor and started a fist fight. For the first minute, both singers were evenly matched, each receiving blows to the face and chest. All of a sudden, Katsuya got on top of Kyoto and started raining a barrage of punches to his face. He was seeing red for his enemy calling Kaiba a waste. No one was allowed to talk poorly about the brunette as long as the blond was around. Kyoto's face was red from punches and his right eye was black. Katsuya started to bring down his fist to the left eye when an arm grabbed his and wrapped it around his back. Katsuya looked back to see a man with black eyes and blond hair. Kyoto scooted out and sat up, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. "What took you so long, Austen?"

Hooking Katsuya's other arm behind his back and handcuffing them, Austin held the singer's wrists and kept him on his knees. "You gave me the wrong apartment number, jackass."

Katsuya struggled but Kyoto kicked him in the face. "You messed up my face. For that, you deserve to be punished."

Katsuya growled. "Go back and screw your brother. I hope you get AIDS and die!"

His enemy got a towel from the kitchen and wiped off his makeup and water. "Dude, I'm not the one who's about to be infected."

To his horror, Austen reached around and pulled down Katsuya's pants and boxers. He tried to struggle, especially when he heard Austen's zipper go down. Kyoto came back with a digital camera in his hand. Katsuya's eyes grew wide. "You're a monster."

His rival merely smirked. "It'll get you out of the way…and it'll really hurt Kawasaki. Those are my main goals in life: get ahead in music and destroy Kawasaki any way I can."

Katsuya glared at him. "How will this stop me and my band?"

Kyoto squatted down and looked Katsuya in the eye. "I heard from Katie that you perform in a week and a half. If you decide to go ahead with it…I'll send these to every newspaper out there. Oh, and by the way…the letter was to Mokuba after he died." He aimed his camera and nodded at Austen to start.

An hour later, Katsuya was released and he quickly pulled up his pants with tears falling. He had always heard stories but he never thought that he would experience the horror. Kyoto turned off the camera and left, laughing in his triumph. Austen went to the blond. "Are you all right?"

Katsuya punched him in the eye. "No! How can you ask that, you rapist?"

Austen looked at him. "Dude, I didn't do anything to you!"

Katsuya glared through his tears. "I felt everything! How do you explain that?"

Austen reached behind the blond and revealed sausages of every shape. "I don't believe in rape."

Katsuya thought back and realized that what Austen was saying was true. He immediately felt better that he was not violated. He then shuddered at the thought. "Dude, you're sick."

Austen shrugged. "I would have done it with you if you said yes. Besides, I don't want to infect anyone else."

Katsuya tilted his head. "Then why did you do that?"

"Kyoto's my cousin…and he threatened my own career as a dancer unless I did this. No one wants to be around an infected man, especially in a career where I could get a cut."

Katsuya leaned against the couch. "Well, I thank you for not raping…but it still felt real."

Austen smirked. "But you have to admit…it is a little funny."

Katsuya looked at Austen and they soon were laughing together.

After wishing Austen luck on his career, Katsuya headed to Kaiba's apartment. He could not believe how low Kyoto would go with rivals and family just to be on top of the charts. He wanted to destroy his rival but thought that he would need Kaiba's help. After all, Kaiba's hatred for Kyoto was much greater than Katsuya's. As he climbed the stairs to Kaiba's apartment, his thoughts then went back to Kyoto's threat. He knew that Kyoto would do such a thing but the blond was not about to back out of the premier of the song he wrote for Kaiba. If Kyoto did spread the pictures, Katsuya would have his friends and Kaiba to support him. Not only that, but Austen promised to discredit the pictures. As he smiled at that thought, he heard Kaiba screaming in his apartment. "Get out! I told you, I don't want to see you again!"

An unknown female wailed at him, "But Seto, you can't send me away! We need each other!"

"Rachel arranged this! I did not agree back then and I will never agree!"

"Seto, I love you!"

"You don't even know me! How the hell can you claim such a ludicrous thing?"

The door flew open and a young girl younger than Katsuya dressed in a white dress was pushed out. When the door slammed, Katsuya went to the girl. Her cloudy brown eyes looked at him through her caramel-colored hair. "Who are you?"

Katsuya wiped her tears. "Katsuya. Are you all right?"

She pounded on the door. "I won't be until he lets me in his life! Seto, open the door!"

Seto barked, "Serenity, go away and stay away!"

Katsuya rolled his eyes and turned to Serenity. "I've never seen a fan as dedicated as you."

Serenity looked at him. "I'm not a fan. I'm his fiancé."

That was the last thing Katsuya heard before things went black.


	21. Emotions, Admissions, Surprises

Chapter 21

Emotions, Admissions, Surprises

When the sun rose, Katsuya slowly opened his eyes. He quickly realized that he was in Kaiba's bed with Serenity sitting in a chair next to the bed. She expressed relief when the blond woke up. "Oh, thank goodness. I was worried that we would have to call a doctor for you."

Katsuya sat up and rubbed his eyes. "No need…I just need to get that dream out of my head."

"What dream is that?"

The blond chuckled. "That you and Seto were engaged and—"

Serenity quickly interrupted him. "That wasn't a dream…it's true."

Kaiba's voice rang out. "It's not like I care either way."

Katsuya glared at the brunette who was leaning in the doorway. "How could you do this to me?"

Kaiba shrugged. "One, you didn't ask. Two, it's arranged."

Serenity sniffled a little. "But Seto…I love you."

Kaiba rolled her eyes. "But I don't. I don't love anyone."

Katsuya leaned against the pillow. "How could you lead me on like this?"

Kaiba scoffed. "I don't. You're the one who's always coming after me."

Serenity looked at the brunette. "Seto, who is this man?"

Katsuya froze a little. How would he be able to tell her that he's been sleeping with her fiancé? That would lead to a very awkward talk. But before the blond could answer, Kaiba spoke up in an unusually calm voice. "He's a guy I bang every now and then."

Katsuya blushed deeply and Serenity grew pale. "Seto, how could you? You and I are supposed to marry next month!"

Kaiba started to clean his fingernails with a nail file. His face showed that he did not care that he was hurting both of them. Katsuya and Serenity's eyes brimmed with tears. Serenity started to sob and covered her face in her sorrow. Katsuya spoke up first. "Seto, what the hell is wrong with you? Don't you care that you're breaking both our hearts?"

Seto shook his head, looking at his now clean nails. "No…I only care about myself. You two should know that by now."

Serenity looked at him. "Why? Why did you change?"

Seto growled. "Bitch, shut your mouth."

"You were never like this! You used to be kind; you used to smile!"

Kaiba hit the wall with the side of his fist. "You damn well why I'm like this! Now get out!"

Katsuya knew that he and Serenity were walking on very thin ice at the moment. But he could not help what slipped out of his mouth. "Does this have to do with Kyoto and Mokuba?"

Hearing those two names, Seto snapped. He stomped towards them and grabbed the back of their necks. He then led them to the front door and threw them out of his apartment. After he slammed the door in their faces, Serenity started to pound on the door. "Seto! Please! You can't do this to me!"

Katsuya did not know what to say. He wanted to comfort the girl but his heart saw her as a rival for Kaiba's love. A bit nervous, the blond straightened his clothes and looked at her. "Well…I guess I'll be seeing you."

Serenity glared at the blond through teary eyes. "You stay away from Seto! He was mine before you even heard of him!"

Katsuya was surprised to hear this but he was not about to give up right away. "Hey…you can't tell me what I can or can't do! I will continue to see Seto because I love him!

Serenity wiped her eyes. "It's because of your statement that Seto threw us out! You hurt him!"

The blond's heart broke at hearing that statement. The last thing that the blond wanted to do was hurt the man he loved. Feeling his eyes brim with tears, he shook his head slowly. "I…I don't hurt him…I don't…"

Serenity pushed him against the railing. "You did hurt him! When you mentioned Kyoto, he flew into a rage! If you truly care about him, you need to stay away from him! I can help him whereas you only piss him off!"

Katsuya gritted his teeth. He was hurt but he was not about to lie down and give the brunette to this girl. "At least I've been there for him all this time! You just showed up out of the blue and demanded to be with Seto!"

Serenity slapped him across the face. "That's not true! I've known him since the foster home, longer than you! You had no right to steal him from me!"

Katsuya would have verbally attacked back but was interrupted by Kaiba's door opening. Kaiba then peeked out and threw his shoe that hit the blond's face. He then growled, "You two get out of my sight, get out of my life!" With that, he slammed his door once again.

Serenity started to cry again and ran off. Rubbing the wound on his face, Katsuya sadly walked down to the road. Along the way, he passed Kevin, who waved. "Hey there, kid."

Katsuya did not respond; he just kept on walking. Tilting his head, he headed up to Kaiba's apartment and knocked on the door. Kaiba hissed from the other side, "Go away, bitch!"

Kevin laughed. "Kaiba, how did you know it was me?"

Kaiba did not respond; instead, he opened the door and peeked out. "What the hell do you want, fairy?"

Kevin looked in the direction where Katsuya left. "I just saw Katsuya leaving…he looked hurt."

Blinking in response, Kaiba slammed the door once again. Kevin rolled his eyes. "When will this guy ever learn to let people in?"

Two days before _Drowning Heaven_ was supposed to perform the concert, Riku was knocking on Katsuya's door. "Katsuya, get out of there! You haven't left in over a week! Now come out right now!"

The blond yelled out from behind the door, "Go away! I'm never coming out again!"

Riku sighed with frustration and went to the kitchen to join Naoki and Tetsuya. The bassist looked up at her. "Still no luck, huh?"

Riku shook her head. "No. He still won't come out."

Naoki groaned and hit the counter with his fist. "This is pathetic. We're supposed to be rehearsing for our concert. Maybe I should call Leiona and cancel."

Riku shook her head. "That's not smart to do. The band needs all the exposure that it can get. We just need to convince my brother to cheer up."

Tetsuya scoffed. "I don't know how long that will take. After all, it was Kaiba that hurt him."

Riku scowled. "Well, someone needs to talk to Kaiba and talk some reason into that asshole."

Just then, Katsuya's voice sounded. "Don't bother." The three looked up and saw the singer standing there. He was wearing a loose pair of blue pajama pants. There were black circles under his eyes and his hair was worse than bed head. Riku went and hugged his brother. "Katsuya, we were so worried."

Katsuya wiped his right eye. "I'm sorry…I just…couldn't leave until…it was done."

The three were confused about what the blond was talking about. The singer held up a piece of paper. It was covered with writings and written in large print on top were the words 'Immortal Mortality.' Tetsuya looked at the paper. "Is that…a song?"

Naoki smirked. "Good, now we're on the right track for our CD. Tetsuya wrote 'True to Yourself.' Kaiyuki is working on a song called 'Dark World.' Toya is almost done with his masterpiece 'Clean and Jerk.'"

Riku looked at Naoki with a blank look. "I know I'm going to regret this but…did you write a song?"

Naoki grinned. "It's called 'A Devoted Girl.'"

Riku rolled her eyes. She was only half-surprised with the title. But she did not want to deal with the sex-crazed guitarist. She turned back to her brother. "Are you okay now?"

Katsuya nodded. "Yeah. I was really depressed for the first two days. But then I realized something. I wasn't depressed because Seto threw me out; I'm actually getting used to it. I was depressed because…I want Seto with all my heart and I can't stand the fact that that girl is trying to muscle in on my man."

Tetsuya cleared his throat. "Um, Katsuya…what makes you think that he's your man?"

Katsuya blushed. "Well…you know my belief: don't have sex with someone unless you love that person. Because he's always initiated our sessions, I think that's proof that Seto's interested in me. Because of that, I will do any and everything to win Seto from that girl."

Riku smiled. "It's good to have that kind of determination…but your concert is in two days and I think you should concentrate on that first."

The blond's eyes grew wide. "We have that little time left? Oh crap, I need to get dressed!" With that, he raced back into his room to find a good outfit to wear. His friends just laughed at his reaction.

On the night of the concert, Katsuya was nervous. While this was a concert with many newcomers, he felt like all the pressure was on him. Wearing an all-white outfit and a long, brown leather coat, he was running over all the things that he and _Drowning Heaven_ had practiced. He was exhausted and was trying not to fall asleep on his feet. To prepare for their performance, the band practiced non-stop for thirty-six hours straight. While his friends may have taken a short break and rested, Katsuya refused to rest because he wanted to make sure his performance was perfect. He had hoped that Kaiba would come since he asked Noah to invite the brunette but he was not holding his breath.

Gathering his nerve, the singer looked at his friends. Kaiyuki was practicing his drumming on his leg. He was wearing an all-gray outfit with a white scarf around his neck. He was also sporting his new haircut. His blond hair now had brown streaks. The left side of his face was still hidden by his bangs, which were now primarily brown. Standing near the drummer was Toya, dressed in black pants, a dress shirt, and black vest. Despite being dressed like a proper gentleman, Toya still stuck out with his lace gloves and vampire-like makeup.

Off to the side, Naoki was strumming his strings. Once again, he was wearing an outfit that portrayed him as the embodiment of rock and roll. His choices of clothing were a pair of black jeans and a tight red and black shirt. Once his guitar was ready, he looked at the bassist in his lucky white outfit. Tetsuya was a little nervous but he was calmer than before since he knew what it was like to perform in front of a large group. He looked at the singer and smiled softly. "Are you ready?"

Katsuya shrugged. "I guess so…but…"

Kaiyuki shook his head. "He's not coming."

Katsuya gave a little whine. Toya stepped up just as the announcer started getting the crowd ready for the band. "Just imagine that Kaiba is here."

Katsuya nodded. He took a deep breath and led his band onto the stage. Even though the stage was pitch black, the audience was lit up and Katsuya could see all. Katie was standing in the front row, looking proud and a little nervous. Kyoto and Numora were on the second floor. Numora was drinking a martini and nuzzling his brother, who was giving the blond singer death glares. Unfazed, Katsuya gripped the microphone and lifted the tip of his middle finger. Only Kyoto could see the gesture and he scowled even more. Katsuya smirked and was about to say the name of the song they were premiering when he looked towards the back of the club and got the shock of his life.

Kaiba and Serenity were there. Serenity was looking the band over, seemingly taking a good look for the first time. Kaiba looked bored with his blank face and his arms crossed. Katsuya's shoulders dropped in pleased surprise. He never expected that the man he loved would come to one of his concerts…especially when this concert was for the premier of their new song. Feeling Naoki's guitar poke him, Katsuya snapped back to reality and made the introduction. "My loyal fans…_Drowning Heaven_ is proud to present our newest song…dedicated to the love of my life, SK…Freedom."

Serenity giggled at what Katsuya just called Kaiba. "Can you believe that man?"

Seto glared at her, making her be quiet, and looked at the band as Toya started to play an otherworldly tune on his keyboard. After a few notes, the rest of the band started up. Combined, they created a sound that was a mix of modern rock and unearthly tunes. Katsuya immediately got into his performing-zone and gripped the microphone. He then started to pour his soul out to Kaiba. The song spoke of Katsuya, wanting to be himself, taking Kaiba to a faraway place where they could be in love without any judgment.

During the duration of the song, there was a mix of emotions from everyone. Toya was being himself with acting beyond the normal measure and singing backup when he was needed. Kaiyuki was focused on his drums with his new hair style adding more enthusiasm to his playing. Naoki looked around every now and then with a monotone look on his face. Tetsuya could not keep his eyes off of the guitarist. Katie grinned with pride, proud of the new song by the new band. Kyoto was furious and stormed off with Numora close behind. Serenity was impressed with the song and was smiling for she understood the hidden meaning behind the lyrics.

As soon as the song was over, the lights went off and the crowd went wild. Katsuya smiled warmly, enjoying the fact that he got to sing the song to both fans of _Drowning Heaven_ and to Kaiba. As the band left, Serenity looked at Kaiba, intending on asking him a question, but stopped and stared with a surprised look. Kaiba had a small but heart-warming smile on his face. However, it disappeared just as soon as it appeared and he led Serenity out of the club.

Backstage, Naoki and Tetsuya were putting away their instruments. The guitarist was grinning. "Well, I think that's another hit."

Tetsuya just nodded, not looking at his friend. Sensing that something was amiss, Naoki put his hand on the bassist's shoulder. "Hey, what's up, dude? You haven't spoken a word the while day."

Tetsuya looked at the guitarist with sad eyes. Naoki was about to ask again what was wrong when Katsuya whined at the text message he got. Tetsuya immediately went to the singer. "What is it?"

Katsuya read, "Good song…knew what it meant. Look forward to our battle for Seto's heart."

Toya smiled, realizing who sent the text message. "Looks like she's giving you permission to be around Kaiba again."

The singer glared at the keyboardist. "Shut up. I wasn't going to let her dictate whether I could see Seto or not."

Kaiyuki looked up from his music player. "Then why did you cringe whenever we mentioned either of them?"

Katsuya just blushed in response. Naoki laughed and got his friends in a chokehold. The singer laughed and played around until he heard a familiar laugh. _Drowning Heaven_ turned around to see Kyoto standing there with his advanced cell phone. "So…you didn't heed my warning. Well…now you know the punishment."

Only Katsuya knew what his rival was talking about since the blond kept what happened a secret. "Oh, really? You think I care? After all, I have Austen's testimony that it was a fake."

Kyoto smirked evilly. "Yes…but until he says so…a certain someone…will think otherwise."

Half hour later, Seto pushed Serenity out of his apartment and opened his laptop. He was about to start on making new lyrics when he saw that he had a new email with attachments on it. He opened it and read the message that said 'Does this look familiar?' Curious, the brunette opened the attachments and saw the pictures Kyoto took of Austen "taking advantage" of Katsuya. The normally-unemotional singer's eyes slowly grew wide and his hands clenched into fists.


	22. Blood Equals Truth

Chapter 22

Blood Equals Truth

Two days after the concert, Drowning Heaven was back in the recording studio. After hearing 'Freedom,' Leiona wanted to get as much recording down as possible. When she told this to the band, she got different reactions from each member. Toya gave his signature smirk and nodded. Naoki grinned as wide as he could. Tetsuya and Katsuya whined; they did not want to work hard that soon after their performance. Kaiyuki, as numb as ever, gave a sharp nod while sucking on a piece of candy.

With Toya and Kaiyuki currently recording their sections of the song and Leiona monitoring their work, the three other members were waiting their turn…and trying to pass the time. Naoki was holding his guitar protectively and listening to a hard-metal song on his music player. Tetsuya was fidgeting with his fingers and stealing glances at the guitarist. The bassist seemed to have something on his mind and was too afraid to let it out. Katsuya was staring at his open cell phone, puzzled by a recent text message from Kaiba. It simply stated, "The next time you see Kyoto, text me immediately."

Taking out one of his headphones, Naoki poked the singer's head. "Dude, you got any change? I'm craving a soda."

Katsuya dug into his pockets and pulled out spare change. "If I remember, drinks are a pound."

Naoki pulled out some change from his back pocket. "Looks like we have enough. You want one too?"

Before Katsuya could ask, Leiona turned to the three. "Not so fast. Naoki, Tetsuya, it's your turn to start recording."

Tetsuya groaned but slowly went into the studio. Before getting up, Naoki gave his quarters to the singer. "Get me the darkest soda they have."

Katsuya chuckled with amusement. He then left to get the drinks. On the way to the vending machines, the blond peeked in to see who else was recording. Unfortunately, he did not recognize any of the performers. When he got to the vending machines, he got an unwelcome surprise: Numora and Kyoto were there. Kyoto was against the wall with Numora on top of his brother in an intense make-out session. Katsuya stuck out his tongue in disgust, remembering that the two were twin brothers, and looked at the selection of drinks that the machines offered. With his back to the couple, he did not see Kyoto move Numora's lips to his neck. "What are you doing here?"

Katsuya made the decision to not look at his rival and started to deposit coins into the machine. "If you must know, we're recording a new song. What are you and your TWIN doing here?" He put special emphasis on the word "twin" to get Kyoto's goat.

Kyoto snarled. "The same, blondie…but we're doing a whole album."

Having received the first soda, the blond started to dispense the amount for the other soda. "Whatever, loser. Just because you're doing an album doesn't make you better."

His rival laughed and held up a memory chip from a digital camera. "That's right…THIS makes me better."

Katsuya turned around to see what Kyoto had in his hand. However, Numora was faster as he pulled his brother back to their recording studio. The blond felt uncomfortable about what Kyoto could have been talking about. He then remembered the text that Kaiba sent him. He got out his phone and started to create a text message that would forever change his views on the man he loved.

Currently taking a break from recording, _Last Resort_ was lounging around. Yin was playing with his drum sticks while talking to Cota about a future tour through Europe. The brothers were cuddling on the nearby couch. Kyoto had on a confident look on his face as he looked at the memory chip between his fore and middle finger. Numora bit his lower lip and looked up at his lover. "Why are you doing this?"

Kyoto sighed with exasperation, having heard this question many times. "Numora, Kawasaki deserves it after the way he insulted our relationship."

"I know but I think you went too far. You know what his crime was; you know what he's capable of."

Kyoto chuckled and nuzzled the guitarist. "Don't worry, baby. There's no way he can harm us."

Numora looked at the memory chip. "How can you be so confidant?"

The singer smirked and looked at the wall opposite of them. "Because he doesn't know where we are."

Before the dreadlocked guitarist could respond, a series of angry pounds came from the other side of the door. The band jumped at being startled as the knocks continued without a single pause. Cota snarled, assuming he know who was on the other side of the door. "Can't that emo singer wait his turn?"

Yin shrugged and got up. "May as well tell him again to find an empty studio."

Numora sat up, feeling very uneasy for an unknown reason. "Yin, I think you should stay away from the door."

The guitarist said the statement too soon; Yin had already started to turn the knob. The drummer looked back at his friend just as the door was flung open, knocking Yin back. Standing in the doorway was Kaiba…and he had fire in his eyes. He looked like a demon recently unleashed from hell. Numora immediately stood in front of Kyoto. After helping the drummer up, Cota tried to act brave. "What the hell do you want?"

Kaiba pointed to Kyoto. "You're dead." The tone of his voice and the look in his eyes…showed that he was serious.

Moments later, Katsuya was getting ready to get into the recording studio since his friends were done with their recordings. The blond was gathering his emotions together so that he could portray the feelings he wanted to bring to his audience. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a female intern rushed in, panicked. "Ms. Leiona, we have trouble!"

Leiona looked up from her work. "What's wrong? What's going on?"

Still very scared, the intern uttered, "Kyoto…attacked…Kaiba…blood…"

Leiona's eyes grew wide. She had known that Kyoto and Kaiba had had problems in the past but this physical fight was a first. She got up to settle the dispute but Katsuya was already out the door. He did not care about Kyoto; he was more worried about Kaiba's current state of mind. If the brunette was fighting, something was definitely wrong.

Even though the blond did not know where _Last Resort_'s studio was, he still found it because the door was opening and there were moans and groans coming from inside. Katsuya started to enter but stopped to examine the damage. Yin was collapsed in a corner with a bruised cheek and a bloody nose. Cota was on the floor, clutching his head, with his shattered bass scattered around him. The window that looked into the recording studio was destroyed with Numora lying near the microphone, cut up from the glass. Katsuya started to feel scared as he heard a gagging noise coming from behind the couch. The blond looked and was sickened by what he saw.

Kaiba, with an animal-like look in his eyes, was sitting on top of Kyoto. The pop rock singer was hardly recognizable. His face was completely covered with bruises and blood. His eyes were swollen shut and his nose was bleeding. He was currently trying to claw Kaiba's hands off his neck. Katsuya immediately realized that Kaiba was trying to kill Kyoto. "Seto, stop!"

The brunette did not move or even acknowledge that the blond was in the room; he instead tightened his grip on his enemy's neck. Calling for help, Katsuya went around and started to try to pull Kaiba off of his rival. The brunette was still in his own world, focused on nothing that did not involve his actions. Naoki and a security guard came in and saw that the smaller singer needed help. Naoki assisted in pulling Kaiba away while the guard pried the fingers away, giving Kyoto much needed air. The punk singer gasped in air and coughed almost violently. "Kawa…saki…you…are…" He could not even finish his sentence.

Kaiba would have attacked his enemy again but Katsuya and Naoki held him back. "You deserve to die, you bastard! You had Katsuya raped!"

The two members of _Drowning Heaven_ reacted with wide eyes but for different reasons. Naoki was reacting to the fact that the blond singer was supposedly raped. Katsuya was reacting because Kaiba was calling him by his name. Kyoto wiped his mouth and opened his eyes a crack. "I…did not…"

The statement drove Kaiba over the edge. He pushed everyone away and started to strangle Kyoto again. "You lie! I saw the pictures! I know what I saw!"

The security guard and Naoki tried to pull the brunette off the singer. The two could not make the brunette budge. After a minute, though, Katsuya got Kaiba to stop with one sentence: "Seto, those pictures were fake!"

Kaiba stopped choking Kyoto but he did not full get go of the neck. He loosened his grip and turned his head to look at Katsuya. "What…are you…talking about?"

Katsuya moved into Kaiba's eyesight and touched the man he loved on the arm. "I wasn't raped. Kyoto's cousin was forced to put me in the suggestive position and teased me with lunch meat. Seto…nothing happened."

Kaiba looked the blond straight in the eye and realized that the truth was told. He released his enemy, giving Kyoto the opportunity to scurry out of reach. The security guard, knowing his duty, asked Kyoto, "Shall I call the police?"

Kyoto shook his head. "No…if you do, the public will know all our secrets. We can't have that…can we, Kawasaki?"

In a state of semi-shock, Kaiba nodded as the guard started to check on the rest of _Last Resort_. Kaiba then held out his hand. Knowing what the brunette wanted, Kyoto pulled out the memory chip and gave it up. The brunette gave the chip to Naoki and slowly stood up. "Destroy it." With that, he left with Katsuya close behind.

The guitarist broke the chip in half and glared at Kyoto. "You're not human, you know that? We should have let Kaiba kill you."

Naoki stood up and headed for the door. However, before he left, he heard Kyoto laugh. He looked at the singer, who replied with a deadly smirk, "Very good…let a murderer commit a murder."

Naoki did not know how to react. After all, Kyoto was known to lie…but what if he wasn't lying this time? The guitarist decided to not ask and left.

In a storage room, Kaiba hid, hoping to be alone for a while. Katsuya entered and closed the door behind him. "Seto? Are you all right?"

Kaiba did not answer or even look at the blond. He started to tremble and had to put his hands on the wall to keep him steady. The blond was now scared. "Seto, what's wrong?"

Kaiba kept shaking but he answered, "Kyoto…how could he? How could he do it?"

Assuming he was talking about the fake rape, Katsuya shrugged. "I don't know; he has a twisted way of trying to get rid of me."

Kaiba lowered his head. "No…why did…he send me…the pictures? He knows…how I react…to such things."

The blond was starting to get alarmed. But he still tried to calm his lover. "Hey…it's okay. Nothing happened to me."

Seto suddenly let out a small sob. As Katsuya went to look at the brunette, he listened as the taller singer confessed, "I'm glad…because…I thought…you went through…what I went through." Katsuya's heart sank at the words and his eyes brimmed with small tears as he caught sight of Kaiba's face. The brunette…was actually crying. The blond immediately got between Kaiba's arms and hugged the brunette's neck. "Seto…were you…?"

Those two words were enough to make Kaiba lose his composition. He collapsed into the blond's arms and cry bitterly. Between sobs, he uttered, "Why? How could he? Did he…take me in…just to hurt me? No…I can't remember…I won't!"

Katsuya's heart broke as the brunette cried bitterly. Kaiba's memories of his attack seemed to be flooding back and they were turning him into the damaged person that was behind the composition of all his songs. The blond had no idea how to comfort his lover so he held him close and rubbed his back.

After about ten minutes of crying, Kaiba finally settled down. Katsuya smiled sadly. "Feeling better?"

Unfortunately, the brunette reverted back to his normal, numb persona. "Let go of me, you queen."

Katsuya blushed and pushed him away. "How could you call me that? I comforted you while you were crying."

Kaiba calmly lit a cigarette and inhaled the smoke deep into his lungs. "Yeah, I'll give you that…but the price of that is that you now know about my blot on my soul."

Katsuya crossed his arms behind his back. "But that just means that you trust me now."

Kaiba quickly turned around. "Yeah right, ass."

Katsuya glared at the brunette and started to make faces at Kaiba's back. If the brunette had faced the blond…Katsuya would have seen that there was a genuine smile on his face.


	23. Probing, Unearthing, MysteriesHeartbreak

Chapter 23

Probing and Unearthing = Mysteries and Heartbreak

The next morning, Katsuya woke up in Kaiba's apartment. He was very groggy and had little to no energy after the previous night. Kaiba had taken him home after recording. The brunette stated that he needed company that night after the emotional meltdown Kyoto gave him and Katsuya was more than happy to oblige. After all, the man had just revealed a major part of his past. To the delight of the blond, the type of company that he gave was an hour-long session.

Giggling at the memory of last night's sex, the blond rolled over to cuddle but found that he was the only occupant. He whined in disappointment for one of his favorite things to do post-sex was cuddling, no matter how many times Kaiba pushed him away. Ready to stew in his loneliness, he noticed that there was a note on Kaiba's pillow addressed to Katsuya. He picked it up and read it aloud. "Mutt, I've gone out for a while. I expect you to be gone when I come back. SK."

Katsuya giggled and hugged the note. While it did not show love, it was the thought that counted and Kaiba had thought to let his lover know what was going on. Still in his state of dreaminess, he did not realize that he had company until the male spoke up, "You're starting to be wet, dude."

Katsuya blushed deeply as he sat up. Kevin was standing in the doorway with a big grin on his face. The blond hid most of his body with the blankets. "How long have you been standing there?"

Kevin looked at his left wrist as if there was an invisible watch on his arm. "Well, I got here just in time to see you giggling at the note."

The singer blushed in a pout. "It's not funny. You'd react the same way."

The dancer had to agree. "Yeah, that's true. But I'm not the only one who would squeal like that."

Katsuya tilted his head and opened his mouth to ask the blond to explain his statement. Before he could, though, Noah suddenly popped into view on the side of the bed opposite from where Katsuya was. He greeted the singer with a loud yelp, making the singer fall out of bed from fright. He quickly sat up and glared at the green-haired queen. "Don't do that! You almost gave me a heart attack!"

Noah laughed and climbed onto the bed, where he laid on his stomach with his hands holding up his head and his legs kicking in the air. "So…how's everything in dysfunctional heaven?"

Katsuya tilted his head. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Noah grinned. "You know…this dysfunctional heaven that you and my brother have. You're in heaven but he's miserable…not that that's anything special. He's been miserable since the first day I met him."

Katsuya blurted out, "Because he was raped, right?"

Noah and Kevin froze at that statement. They did not know what to think. Kevin leaned against the wall and crossed his arms, suddenly in a serious mood. "Where did you hear that?"

Katsuya got back on the bed and covered himself with the blankets. He wanted to get comfortable but he also did not want to be nude around them. "He told me yesterday."

Noah's eyes grew wide. "He told you 'I was raped'? Did he tell you who did it?"

The blond shook his head. "No…not like that. He had a panic attack and uttered a few words…but I understood what he meant."

The green-hair queen went into protective brother mode. "A panic attack? What happened?"

Katsuya opened his mouth but then hesitated. He did not know if he should tell the whole story. After all, a majority of it had to do with him and what he went through, even though it was all fake. Seeing the nervousness in the blond's eyes, Kevin took a few steps forward and sat on the edge of the bed. "Come on, you can tell us. We won't tell anyone, we promise."

Katsuya took a deep breath and started to talk. He first told the two that everything that happened to him was all staged and did not truly happen. With his friends understanding, the singer spilled his guts about the fake rape, the pictures sent to Kaiba from Kyoto, the fight, and the panic attack. When he finally finished his tale, Kevin and Noah were stunned. Kevin did not know how to react appropriately; Noah, however, reacted with anger. "How dare he! How dare Kyoto reopen those wounds! Seto barely survived the last time! What is his problem?"

Before either blond could answer, Seto's voice spoke up. "Well, for one, there's an annoying homo screaming in my room." All three looked up to see the brunette standing in the doorway with a scowl on his face and his arms crossed. "This better not be the beginning of a sick, gay orgy. If it is, I'll have to burn my bed and sheets."

Kevin threw a pillow at the brunette. "How dare you suggest that I would even think about cheating on Seth. It's unforgivable."

Noah nodded. "You know I'm a sex-addict but there's only so much I can take. An orgy? Ew."

Katsuya shuddered a little. "Well, I don't mind watching an orgy…as long as I'm with Seto while I watch."

Kaiba growled and threw the pillow back at the blond. It hit the singer in the face and slid down to reveal a chipmunk-like smile on his face. "I say the truth, baby."

Seto rolled his eyes and gestured to Kevin and Noah. "You two, beat it."

Noah said without missing a beat, "I can't do that on command."

Kevin burst out laughing, knowing exactly what his friend was talking about. Katsuya reacted with disgust. "Noah, you're gross."

Noah shrugged innocently. "Seto walked right into it. He knows how dirty my mind is."

Kevin was about to add to the comedic conversation when Kaiba snapped angrily, "YOU TWO QUEENS GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!"

Kevin and Noah sprinted for the door. With Kaiba's tone of voice, they knew that he was not to be messed with. Kevin had only heard rumors but Noah had experience and knew to run when the temper came up. Katsuya sat up a little. "Seto, I think that was uncalled for. What did they do to you?"

Kaiba did not answer the blond; he instead went to the window and pulled back the shade. He then pulled out a cigarette and lit it slowly. The blond watched his lover closely. "Seto? Are you all right? You don't seem yourself."

Kaiba responded without looking back at the younger singer. "Get dressed and go home."

Katsuya tilted his head. "What? Can't I spend some more time with you?"

The brunette shook his head. "No. I don't want you around."

Katsuya sighed, for this was not new from the brunette. He always told the younger to leave him alone but always left his door open for the blond. With that in mind, the blond gathered up his clothes. "So can I see you tonight or tomorrow?"

Kaiba shook his head. "Absolutely not. I don't ever want to see you again. Leave and never come back."

Katsuya froze in his movements. He slowly looked at his lover. "Wh-What did you say?"

Kaiba growled and crushed his cigarette with his fist. "Did I stutter? I said I don't want to see you ever again."

Katsuya put on his pants before moving to the window. "Seto…what brought this on?"

In a move as quick as lightening, Seto turned around and slapped the blond across the face. The smack was so hard that the smaller singer toppled to the ground. Katsuya held his cheek, which was already starting swell, and looked up in shock. "Seto…how could you?"

Kaiba lit another cigarette and put on an extremely cold look. "This is how I treat whores." Katsuya's eyes grew wide as Kaiba continued. "Why do you think I keep taking you back and screwing you? It's because you're available. A man needs to get his rocks off and he always takes it from a person who is around. I mean, why else would I act like the two faggots I just threw out? If you were a person who just happened to pass me in the street, I would not even notice you, let alone consider sleeping with you."

Katsuya's heart was being reduced to dust. He could not believe that Kaiba could be so cruel to him, especially after yesterday's confession. Remembering the break-down, the blond brought that up. "But…you told me yesterday…"

Kaiba stopped the blond with a dry laugh. "You actually believed that lame story? You are more pathetic than I thought. Women and whores always fall for the sob story. So now do you see? You were nothing more than a way to cure my craves. Get it through your head…I do not like, love, or even tolerate you. Since I satisfied my needs, I have no more use for you. Now get out and find someone else to screw."

Tears were falling from the blond's eyes as he felt his heart and soul be ripped apart by the malicious words. He crawled to the brunette and hugged his leg. "Seto…please…I love you…"

Kaiba growled and tried to nudge the blond away with his free foot. "Get off of me, bitch." He tried ignore the blond's begs and pleads. But that proved to be almost impossible as the smaller singer refused to stop. After a full minute, though, Kaiba found that this was an impossible feat to do so he decided to take drastic measures and kicked the blond off of his leg. Katsuya finally let go but stayed on the ground, too stunned to move. He could not believe that the man he loved would do that. "Seto…"

Kaiba barked, "GET OUT!" Katsuya did not need to be told twice; he was on his feet and out of the room with his shirt in his hand in a matter of seconds. When the door slammed, Seto sighed heavily and sat on the bed. His mood was now sad and disgusted with himself. His phone interrupted his self-loathing and the brunette slowly answered it. "This better not be you. I'm in no mood."

Kyoto's voice sounded. "Oh, but it is. Did you do it? Did you…destroy him?"

Kaiba growled and covered his eyes with his free hand. "Yes…I did. Now can I get that extra roll of film?"

Kyoto chuckled. "Nice try, my friend."

Before the rival could continue, Kaiba growled viciously. "I am not your friend, you murderer! After all the despicable things that you did to me, I would never even consider being friends with you, you bastard!"

Kyoto sighed with frustration. "Fine, fine; don't lose your shirt over this. Like I said, you can't have the film just yet. You have to do something else for me."

Kaiba sighed heavily. "Fine…what is it? It better not be something dramatic or stupid." The brunette was willing to do almost anything…but when he heard what the rival said, he flipped out. "What? Are you crazy? I will never do that!"

Kyoto laughed coldly. "Do this…or the next time you will hear about that dumb blond is the headline 'Singer Gets Raped!'"

Kaiba froze for a moment. He had to consider everything. What was more important, his happiness or the blond's reputation and mental state?

About an hour later, Katsuya was crying on the couch. His head was on Toya's lap, resting his bruised cheek on an ice pack. The keyboardist was stroking the singer's hair, trying to calm his friend down. "That's it…let it all out."

Tetsuya and Naoki were sitting in the nearby chairs. Tetsuya was holding a box of tissues, knowing that the singer would need them to wipe his eyes. The guitarist was fuming but kept his mouth shut. He went on a verbal rampage when Katsuya came home but that only deepened the pain the singer felt. Even then, it took all the strength of Tetsuya and Toya to keep the guitarist from going over to Kaiba's apartment and ripping the brunette apart. Seeing that Naoki was still fuming, Toya looked at his pocket watch to see the time. "When does Kaiyuki get here with _ForLo_?"

After sniffling, Katsuya looked up. His eyes were swollen from constant crying but his cheek was a little better from the ice. "_ForLo_ is coming here?"

Tetsuya let out a fan-like giggle and nodded. Even with the pain that Katsuya was going through, the love that the bassist had for _ForLo_ still dominated. Naoki rolled his eyes at the reaction. "Yes, they're coming. They said they would help us with writing more lyrics for our CD."

Toya smiled softly at his damaged friend. "That's just what you need to cheer you up." He doubted his own statement but he hated seeing any of his friend injured in any way. Just then, there was a knock at the front door. Toya smile a bit wider. "That must be him now. You want to get it?"

Katsuya nodded and grabbed a few pieces of tissue from Tetsuya. He wiped his eyes with two pieces and blew his nose to the best of his ability with the remaining piece. Once he guessed that he looked at least halfway decent, he made his way to the door and opened it. Unfortunately, it was not Kaiyuki or _ForLo_…it was Serenity. The singer winced a little, for the girl reminded him of Kaiba. "Wh-What are you doing here?"

Serenity's eyes grew wide at how broken the blond looked, both physically and emotionally. "What happened? Are you all right? Seto didn't tell me that he did this much to you."

Automatically, a few tears escaped from Katsuya's eyes. "Why…are you…here?" His voice was getting choked up.

Serenity sighed. "Well, you won't want to hear this…but you need to. Seto just called me. He properly proposed to me and I said yes."

Katsuya's eyes immediately teared up. He clutched the door to keep himself from falling to the floor. Tetsuya went to his friend and helped him up. "Serenity, why did you have to tell him?"

Serenity softly glared at the new face. "It's so this male can stay away from my fiancé. I don't want my Seto to become infected with some sort of STD because of this wannabe singer."

Katsuya was once again broken beyond repair. He ran to his room, bawling loudly, and slammed the door behind him. Having heard what she said, Toya stood up to his full height and glared. "What you just said…that crossed the line."

Serenity sighed. "I know…but I had to say those things. If Katsuya can't handle things that the crowd might say, how can he truly love Seto?"

Tetsuya realized at the young girl was saying. "You were testing him?"

Serenity just nodded. "Well, he has a while to truly show that he loves Seto. The wedding is two weeks from Sunday." With that, she left. Not two seconds, Kaiyuki and _ForLo_ arrived, with Tina and Miranda looking Serenity over and muttering about how cute the caramel-haired girl was. Kaiyuki looked at his friends and silently asked what was wrong. Tetsuya sighed and let his friends in. "It's a long story."

Miranda became worried when they heard Katsuya crying in his room. "Is there anything we can do?"

All but one was stumped for ideas. Kaiyuki smiled and nodded. "I think there is."


	24. Revelations

Chapter 24

Revelations

The next two weeks were torture for Katsuya. He could barely sleep at night and, when he was awake, he was completely detached from the world. Tetsuya was in charge of trying to cheer the blond up since Naoki tried to do that and only succeeded in reminding Katsuya of Kaiba and upsetting the singer even more. Toya dropped by from time to time to check on the singer and give his friend some comfort food. As for Kaiyuki, he left with _ForLo_ the day Serenity came and broke the news about the wedding. Katsuya was too damaged to notice that the drummer was not around. His friends were wondering what their silent friend was up to but he was out of reach.

Saturday afternoon, Tetsuya and Toya were hanging out with the singer in Katsuya's room. Naoki was fixing his friends lunch in the kitchen. The bassist told the guitarist to do this so that he would not explode on the singer. With Katsuya holding his knees to his chest, Toya was brushing the singer's hair. "I cannot believe that, all this time, you have been ignoring your hair. I'll do what I can to save it."

Tetsuya looked over the singer's hair. "You may have to trim his edges. Not much but enough to get rid of the split ends."

Toya shuddered at the last two words that the bassist uttered. "Don't talk about those things. They're evil and shouldn't exist." He looked at Katsuya. "So do I have your permission to trim your hair?"

Katsuya shrugged in response, showing that he did not care one way or another. Tetsuya sighed. "Katsuya, you have to say something eventually. You don't want to forget how to speak." He said that last part to lighten the moment. Toya smiled at the joke but Katsuya did not even crack a half-smile. The bassist sighed and got up. "I'm going to check on lunch and then try to contact Kaiyuki again."

Once the two friends were alone, Toya hugged Katsuya from behind. "You can make it through this time. I promise you that."

A single tear escaped Katsuya's eye. "I doubt that."

Toya sighed and pulled back to work on the blond's hair. He wanted to help the singer but had no idea how to do so. He knew the blond wanted Kaiba around but his friend knew that the likelihood of the brunette coming back was slim to none. Thankfully, Toya knew better than to verbally express his beliefs. Doing so would break the singer's heart even more. Before Toya could think of something to converse about, a familiar voice spoke up. "I'm back."

Katsuya and Toya looked up to see Kaiyuki standing in the doorway. The singer quickly wiped his eyes. "Kaiyuki…where have…you been?"

The part of Kaiyuki's face that was not covered by his brown-streaked bangs slowly lit up. "Well, I used our connections to find a way for Katsuya to get what he wants."

Katsuya whimpered and held his knees closer to his chest. "Don't tease me…"

Tina poked her head into view. "We're not. You better like what Miranda and I did for you; it took a lot of time and energy for this to happen."

Toya smiled at Tina. "Well, hello there. Where's Miranda?"

Tina just chuckled as Tetsuya's fan squeal happened and a thump occurred. Tina explained, "As you hear, Tetsuya's a big fan of us."

Toya chuckled. "Yes, that is true. So what is it that you have done for this depressed singer?"

Kaiyuki was the one to explain. "I asked them to contact a special person since they had her number and we didn't."

As if that was her introduction, Aya stepped into frame. Toya immediately straightened up, wanting to show the legendary singer the respect that she deserved. Katsuya just looked at her with a blank stare. "How can you help me?"

Aya went to the bed and sat on the edge. "First of all, I need to have Katsuya to myself for a while."

Toya nodded respectfully and left quietly. Kaiyuki left to assist Miranda in removing Tetsuya from her leg. Aya closed the door slowly but did not close the door all the way. Katsuya looked up at his favorite singer. "What did _ForLo_ ask you to do?"

Aya went to the bed and sat on the edge of the bed. "They tell me that you have given up on Kaiba…that he's going to marry Serenity."

The blond's eyes immediately watered but he roughly wiped them away. "Yeah, so what? He stated that he doesn't want to see me and that he wants to marry Serenity. Why should I care what he wants to do with his life?"

Aya asked, "Do you think this is what he really wants?"

Katsuya sharply turned his back to her. "I don't care! Now just leave!"

Aya got the answer that she needed. Katsuya's voice and body actions did not go hand in hand. The blond did care about Kaiba and wanted to be with him, despite what circumstances the brunette was facing. She now knew what she had to do. She cleared her throat rather loudly, enough for those in the other room. All of a sudden, the sound of a piano playing sounded from the living room. Katsuya's ear perked for he recognized the song that was being played. Very soon after the piano started, Aya began to sing 'Love Beyond the Bounds of Time,' the very song that was being played on the piano. The blond quickly turned around to look at Aya. "Don't do this…please stop…don't sing that song."

Still singing, Aya shook her head. Katsuya tried to cover his ears but it did no good. Her voice was still heard and both her voice and the words she was singing were breaking his heart. When the first theme was sung, Katsuya covered his head with his pillow for the theme spoke of his feelings for Kaiba perfectly, especially after the breakdown and break-up. In fact, the entire song described his feelings for Kaiba. Despite everything that had happened, Kaiba had taken over the blond's life, body, and soul. Katsuya had been around Kaiba for some time and they had been through so much together. Because of what they shared, even though Kaiba did not want to share anything, Katsuya's feelings for the brunette grew beyond all measure. When the second theme was sung, Katsuya set aside the pillow as the memories that he had with Kaiba came flooding back: the night they met, the first time he went to Kaiba's apartment, the first time he learned the brunette's name, their first time, all their arguments, their concerts, and everything else in between. He then thought about the confession that Kaiba gave about the abuse he suffered. There was no way that it was a fabrication; the story made the pain in his blue eyes make sense. Kaiba's eyes showed pain and loneliness all the time and the pain was from what he experienced.

When the words came that the singer tried to convince herself that her love was gone but that he was still around, Katsuya broke down into bitter tears. He could not even consider giving Kaiba to Serenity; he needed the brunette even more. He also did not believe that Kaiba loved Serenity since he always threw both of them out…and seemed to only let Katsuya back in. Seeing the tears, Aya hugged her friend as the song was coming to an end. Once she stopped singing, she looked at him. "Sorry but I think you needed to hear that song."

Katsuya took a few deep breaths and wiped his eyes as the piano stopped playing, signaling the end of the song. He then just nodded and took a few more deep breaths. Aya tilted her head a little. "What are you going to do now, Katsuya?"

Katsuya sighed and looked up at the ceiling for a moment. "I need to be alone for a while."

Aya nodded and respectfully left, closing the door behind her. In the living room, with _ForLo_ looking at the sheet music from behind him, Toya looked up from his keyboard. "Were you able to hear me, Miss?"

Aya nodded. "Yes, I was. Thanks for helping me with that."

Toya smiled and pointed to Kaiyuki, who was standing in the corner. "Thank him. He was the one who told me what you wanted me to do."

Kaiyuki just shrugged. "Did that help Katsuya?"

Aya sighed and leaned against the wall. "I honestly don't know. He just told me that he needed to be alone."

Naoki sighed and leaned his head back to look at the ceiling. "I don't know whether to take that the wrong way or not."

Tetsuya was studying Naoki. He looked like he had a question on the edge of his tongue but he was too nervous to ask. Aya was the first to notice the bassist's look. "What's on your mind, my friend?"

Miranda looked at Tetsuya. "He looks like he's in love."

Tetsuya immediately reddened and covered his face with a nearby pillow. Naoki shook his head and looked at her. "I don't think so. The whole time I've known him, he has never shown any interest in any girl that's ever shown even the slightest bit of interest in him."

Tetsuya mumbled something into the pillow. Naoki heard the mumbles and was about to ask his friend to repeat what he said but was interrupted by Katsuya, who came out of his room fully dressed in his black pants and buttoned-up black shirt and made up. Aya looked at the blond. "What did you decide?"

Katsuya sighed and scratched his head. "I'm going to keep fighting for Seto. I can't let that girl marry Seto."

Naoki groaned with exasperation. "You will never learn, will you?"

Toya hushed the guitarist as Aya smiled and hugged Katsuya. "Good for you. Now go get your man."

Katsuya smiled gently and ran to the door. However, just before he left, the singer turned back to his guitarist friend. "By the way, Naoki, you don't know everything about love. If you did, you would have noticed that someone very near you is in love with you."

With the singer now gone, Naoki was extremely confused. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Tetsuya had grown even tenser within the last few seconds…ever since Katsuya pointed out that someone near the guitarist had feelings for him.

At Kaiba's apartment, Serenity and the rest of _Rage Inside_ were hanging out. Sean was taking care of drinks and trying to keep Andrew from drinking since the band knew what a destructive drunk the drummer was. Already tipsy, Andrew was walking around, talking to every object and making Brandon laugh. Brandon was managing the radio, changing it whenever something boring came on. Serenity was sitting on the couch next to Kaiba, laughing at Andrew and talking with Brandon. She was too nervous to talk to Sean since his looks made him seem foreboding. After a few minutes, she turned to Kaiba. "Honey? Are you all right?"

Kaiba was looking off into space. He did not hear her question; even if he did, he might not have answered. He was stuck in his own world, a world that was untouched by anyone from the outside. He was holding an apple in his left hand that remained untouched. Serenity was about to ask again when Andrew noticed the toy dog on top of the selves. "Hey, cute puppy. Can I hug him?"

Quicker than lightening, Kaiba threw the apple at Andrew. It hit him in the arm, making him yelp. Serenity was shocked by this behavior. "I can't believe you did that! Apologize this instant!"

Seto crawled back inside himself and ignored Serenity. Andrew rubbed his now bruised arm and shook his head. "Don't worry about it, little lady. I'm used to it."

Serenity stood up, still shocked. "You shouldn't! Kaiba needs to know not to act like that! Rachel was supposed to fix this!"

Brandon shook his head. "Don't bother with bawling like that. No matter what that woman did, Kaiba will always react like that when it comes to the toy and the incident it symbolizes."

Serenity nodded and sat back down. She did not have to ask what the incident was; just about everyone who really knew Kaiba knew what that particular incident was. Kaiba was about to say something when the doorbell rang. Hoping it was an escape from Serenity, the brunette went to the door and opened it. To his surprise, Katsuya was on the outside. The brunette covered the opening with his body and hissed quietly, "What are you doing here?"

Katsuya took a deep breath to settle his rapidly beating heart. "I came to get you back."

Kaiba's heart squeezed but his face revealed a glare. "Get out of here. I told you to go away." He tried to close the door but Katsuya stuck in his arm and leg to keep the door open. The brunette growled, "Get out of the way, you queer!"

Katsuya ignored the insult. He had decided that living without Kaiba was more damaging than a few insulting words. "No! I need you! I can't live without you! I love you!"

Kaiba clamped his hand over the smaller male's mouth. "Shut up, you fag! I have company!"

Katsuya refused to simmer down either verbally or physically. He squirmed to get free and yelled against the hand. Kaiba tried with all his might to stop the blond from struggling and get him to leave. After a few minutes, however, Serenity came to the door. "Darling, what's taking so long?"

The sound of her voice caused Katsuya to go ballistic. He snapped his mouth away from the brunette's mouth and tried to attack the girl. Kaiba held him back as the blond yelled, "You can't have him! He's mine! I had him first! I love him! You need to go away!"

Kaiba's friends were shocked at the display that was happening. They knew that the blond was dedicated to their lead singer but had no idea that he was THIS dedicated. Serenity took a step back and touched her chest where her heart was. "Katsuya, how can you say that? I love Seto…with all my heart."

Without thinking, Katsuya blurted out, "Well, I love him, even if he has been raped!"

Everyone in the room froze, all for different reasons. Kaiba was shocked that Katsuya blabbed such a secret and covered the blond's mouth. The rest of _Rage Inside_ were shocked that Kaiba told after swearing to never tell anyone his damaging secret. Serenity covered her mouth with both her hands in shock. "Seto…you were raped?"

Katsuya's eyes widened. This young girl, the one who was suppose to marry the brunette, the one that Kaiba supposedly chose over him…had no idea what happened in the brunette's past. Why did Kaiba keep that scar from her, his fiancée, but told the blond, a person Kaiba supposedly hated with all his being? Kaiba caught eyes with Sean and made a snapping movement towards the door. Sean nodded in understanding and took Serenity by the arm. He and the rest of the band led her out the door. Once alone, Kaiba let go of the blond and went into the living room. The blond followed the brunette. "Seto…you did not tell Serenity about you being raped?"

Seto shook his head and gripped his head. "How could I? I would prefer that no one would know!"

Katsuya went and touched the brunette's arm only to have Kaiba snatch his arm back. "Seto, you can't keep all this pain inside you! It's going to get you killed!"

Kaiba turned around to look at the blond and snapped, "I'm already dead! Don't you get that? My life ended when the abuse began!"

Katsuya shook his head. "That's not true! If it was, you would not be a singer like this! You need to rise up above the ashes like a phoenix!"

Kaiba growled and turned around. "I doubt that could ever happen. I've been like this for years…and I've been able to survive like this."

Katsuya shook his head and hugged the brunette's arm. "That's not true. I've seen the sadness in your eyes. You can wear that mask all you want but it does not hide your eyes."

Seto looked at the blond with a numb face but his eyes looked surprised. He felt his barriers slowly peeling down because of the simple sentence that the blond said. Even though he felt his heart touched, he kept up his numb personality. "What pain? You must be hallucinating."

Katsuya glared and went to stand in front of the brunette. "I am not hallucinating! Every time I saw you, I see the pain in your eyes grow. You can deny it all you can but I know what I see!"

Kaiba glared at the blond. "You see nothing! There is no pain in me!"

The blond shook his head. "That's not true! Even now, the pain is very evident! You can't deny it!"

Kaiba shook his head but Katsuya knew that he was getting to his lover because tears started to form in his blue eyes. "I can and I will! I've been doing it all my life! I've survived this way for years! Now get out!"

Katsuya shook his head and hugged the taller male. "I can't! I need you! I can't live without you!"

Kaiba gripped the blond's shoulders and pulled him away, his tears more evident than before. "Don't you get it? If we stay together, we will only hurt each other! It's better to stay away!"

Katsuya shook his head, now crying himself. "It's torture being away from you! It's like having my heart ripped from me!"

Kaiba then let his feelings slip out. "I can't lose you like I lost Mokuba!"

Katsuya froze for a brief second as he gathered his thoughts together. What could such a statement mean? The answer then hit him like a slap in the face: Mokuba was killed supposedly by Kyoto's hand. "Seto…I'm not going away…ever."

Kaiba shook his head and hugged the blond close. "I don't know that! Everyone who promised me that has died! I can't have your blood on my hands!"

Katsuya shook his head and clutched his lover's back. "You won't have my blood on your hands…no one can hurt me in any way. In fact, the only way I will be hurt is if you leave me. That's why I came back…I couldn't handle the pain of being apart."

Kaiba took in a shaky breath and settled himself down. Katsuya nuzzled the taller male's chest. "Is that why you said those horrible things to me?"

Kaiba went to the couch and sat on it. He wiped his eyes and moved his bangs out of his eyes. "Better than to be hurt again."

Katsuya sat next to the brunette and took his hand. "Seto…what happened to you?"

Kaiba slowly looked at the blond, who looked away. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ask that."

The next thing about of Kaiba's mouth stunned the blond. "Do you really want to know? I'll tell if you want to hear."

Katsuya looked at his lover. He knew that he had wondered about Kaiba's past for the longest time. Hearing about Mokuba's death and the rape made him even more curious. He tilted his head. "Before you tell…why the sudden change?"

Kaiba went back into his old ways and smacked the blond on the face with a pillow. "Are you as stupid as a blond is supposed to be? I'm telling you so that you prove that you really love me. An ordinary person would run away after learning the truth."

Katsuya could not stop the smile from forming on his face. He liked it when Kaiba was rough like this; it made everything much more fun. "Okay. So tell me the biography of the man I love."

Kaiba rolled his eyes before beginning the tale.


	25. Kaiba's Past – Part I

Chapter 25

Kaiba's Past – Part I

Seto woke up one morning to what appeared to be a normal day, with a glass of juice was waiting for him on his nightstand. He sat up and groaned at his stiffness. Taking his juice, he looked out his window and saw that the sky was gray and the window was covered with rain. Being eight years old, he groaned at the rain because it meant that he could not play outside. Hearing his mother call him, he quickly finished his juice, dressed in his school uniform, and headed downstairs.

As he headed to the kitchen, he could smell his breakfast cooking and hear his parents talking to each other. Seto grinned and started to tiptoe the rest of the way. At the doorway, he almost immediately made eye contact with his mother, who smiled at him. Trying to not giggle, Seto walked up to his father and covered the adult's eyes. The older man smiled. "Who would that be?"

His wife chuckled. "The prince has arrived."

Seto smiled and sat down at his seat. His father ruffled his hair. "You like doing that to me, don't you?"

Seto nodded. "It's fun! Besides, you haven't told me to stop."

Her mother smiled as she put a plate of pancakes in front of Seto. "That's because your father enjoys it as much as you do."

Seto began to eat as his father cleared his throat. "So, Seto…about our outing today…"

Seto looked up with a look of slight concern. "We're still going, right?"

The elder looked up at the window and the rain. "I don't know, son…the rain doesn't look inviting."

Seto stood up in his anger. "But you promised to take me and Mom!"

His mother sat down in her chair. "Seto, your father is thinking of our safety."

Seto shook his head. "He promised me! It's not fair!"

The older man gave a stern look. "Seto, don't raise your voice at your mother."

Seto sat back down and pouted. "It's not fair…I keep my promises."

His father sighed as his mother reached over and petted his son's head. "We will still go…just on a different day, okay?"

Seto looked up with a glimmer of hope as the school bus pulled up. He and his mother rushed to get his stuff together as his father remained, thinking.

Throughout the rest of the school day, Seto pretended to pay attention to the class. In truth, he was hoping that his dad would change his mind and would take the family on their outing. The rain was getting very heavy and thick but the boy was not concerned, for he knew his father was a good driver.

In the middle of the afternoon, Seto's name was called over the intercom, asking him to come to the office. The young boy grinned, thinking his parents had arrived. He quickly put his papers and folder in his backpack and raced to the office. To his surprise, his parents were not there; instead, there was a middle-aged police man waiting for him. Seto took a step back as the officer looked at him. "Son, I'm going to need you to come with me."

Seto quickly shook his head. "No! I don't go with strangers!"

The police officer man nodded. "That is true…but you need to come with me."

Before Seto could protest again, the secretary spoke up. "Seto, you can trust this man. Something happened to your parents."

Seto felt his heart skip a beat. He slowly looked at the officer and asked softly, "What happened?"

The officer sighed. "Your parents…were in an accident. They didn't suffer; it was over in an instant."

Seto's young heart skipped another beat. He could not breathe for a minute for his whole world shattered in matter of seconds. Tears began to fall from his eyes as he felt weak and moved to sit in a nearby chair. The officer went to try to comfort the child but Seto swatted his hand away. "Don't touch me! Where are my parents? You're lying to me!" The secretary came around and gave him a small hug. Seto finally broken down in tears and screams, which made the officer hang his head in sadness.

Less than a week later, Seto slowly woke up in the orphanage that he had been taken to after he heard the terrible news about his parents. He was extremely upset that he was alone in the world and his face showed his depression. He refused to let himself smile as he believed that he had no reason to be happy anymore. Because of his sully attitude, none of the other children wanted to play with him and gave him more than enough space. Seto did not mind because all he wanted to do was read horror stories and feel sorry for himself.

As he made his way to the mess hall, he was stopped by the head of the orphanage, Lily. She was an average looking woman who looked more like a librarian with her pant suit and half-moon glasses over her green eyes and hooked into her blond hair. She approached the young boy. "Seto, can I talk to you for a moment?"

Seto gave her a blank look. "Can it wait?"

Lily smiled softly. "I may have a family who would like to adopt you."

The boy quickly shook his head. "No! I don't want a new mom and dad! I want mine!"

Lily kneeled down and touched his shoulders. "I know, sweetie. I've seen how hurt you are and I know you blame yourself…"

"It IS my fault!"

Lily hugged him and Seto leaned limply against her, eyes brimming with angry tears. Lily patted his back. "I know. But I believe that you are not to blame."

Seto sighed and lowered his head. Lily smiled sadly and pulled back to look at his face. "Now…will you at least meet the couple who might want to take you home?"

Believing that he had no other choice, Seto slowly nodded and followed the woman into her office where a middle-aged couple was waiting. The woman was as tall as Lily with black hair and brown eyes. Dressed in a brown skirt and white shirt, she smiled brightly at Seto. "Hello there, young one. What is your name?"

Seto did not answer as he stared at the man. He was very tall with graying hair and a brownish-gray mustache. His gray eyes were cold and menacing. Seto stared back, showing that he was not afraid. Lily took a deep breath, as if to calm her own nerves, and smiled to the woman. "His name is Seto, Mrs. Kawasaki."

Mrs. Kawasaki looked down at Seto. "It's nice to meet you, Seto."

Seto nodded slowly. "Nice to meet you too, Mrs. Kawasaki."

She smiled warmly. No need for formalities. If things go well, you can call me Mom."

If Seto had heard the last word, he would have attacked her. Thankfully, Lily had correctly guessed the word she was going to say and covered the boy's ears. "Ma'am, I would strongly suggest that you and your husband not ask Seto to call you those titles. That is a very touchy subject with him." She then removed her hands. "Seto, what do you think of them?"

Seto was very nervous about the older man's stare but pretended to be numb. "What are their names?"

Lily put her hand on his shoulder. "Rei and Gozaburo."

Catching Seto's gaze, Rei hugged her husband's arm. "Don't worry, sweetie. My husband was born with a permanent frown."

Gozaburo scoffed and finally spoke up in a demanding voice. "He will do."

Seto tilted his head as Lily squeezed his shoulder. "Seto, may I speak to you outside?"

Biting his lower lip, Seto nodded and followed Lily outside her office. "Yes, Miss Lily?"

Lily did not waste any time. "Do you want to go home with them?" Seto tilted his head and Lily explained, "The Kawasakis have been very generous donors for many years. Mrs. Kawasaki has filled out all the applications for a child but her husband has never shown interest in any child…until you."

Seto crossed his arms. "He's scary-looking."

"I know, darling. But I checked out the family. Mr. Kawasaki works all day and his wife will be the one taking care of you."

Seto perked up, for he thought that Rei was friendly. "If I say yes, when do I go with them?"

Lily smiled. "In one hour."

For a brief second, Seto's lips showed the tiniest smile. However, it quickly disappeared. "Sign me up."

An hour later, Seto was sitting in a limo, across the way from his new parents. Rei was still smiling and friendly towards the young boy. Gozaburo, on the other hand, was extremely sour-looking with his arms crossed and his right leg over his left. Seto fidgeted with his hands as he tried to answer Rei's questions about himself. The stares by Gozaburo made the child feel very uncomfortable. Rei noticed Seto's fidgets and came to a different conclusion. "Seto dear, are you hungry?"

Seto blushed a little and nodded, remembering that he did not have breakfast. Gozaburo sighed in disgust. "You are old enough to feed yourself."

Seto looked down as Rei looked at her husband. "Oh, come now, hun. This is his first day in our family. We should make him feel welcome."

Gozaburo scowled as the limo came to a stop. He got out first and Rei gestured Seto to get out first. "Welcome home, my son."

Seto winced at her calling him her son; nevertheless, he got out and drank in the sights. A huge mansion stood in front of him. It had two floors with four windows on each floor. Six pillars held the roof up. The mansion was painted white and had a cold, numb feeling about it. Rei looked out of the limo. "Seto, go to Gozaburo. He'll lead you to the kitchen."

Seto looked back at her. "You're not coming?"

Rei smiled and shook her head. "I have to go shopping for you. You need to have bed sheets and bathroom supplies."

Seto reluctantly nodded as Rei closed the door and rolled down the window. "Be good to my husband. I'll be back away."

As the limo pulled away, Seto took a deep breath and started to walk up the path to the mansion. Gozaburo was waiting for him. "Will you hurry up?"

Seto nodded and walked a little faster. Once he got next to his stepfather, Gozaburo viciously pushed the boy into the mansion. Slamming the door behind him, the middle-aged man gave a sneer. "Now that we're alone…let's get better acquainted."

Seto looked up at him and crawled backwards. "No…please."

Gozaburo stomped on the child's stomach. Seto immediately curled in a fetal position, coughing and gasping. The abusive man crossed his arms. "You are not allowed to talk back to me! You do not speak unless spoken to! Do you understand?"

Scared, Seto nodded and covered himself as Gozaburo continued to kick him. For the next hour, the young child was kicked and stomped by his new stepfather. When the sound of the limo pulled up, Gozaburo stopped the abuse and roughly pulled the boy to his feet. "Get to your room, boy."

Coughing and bruised, Seto went to his room that had a sign on the door that said "Welcome, New Child." He quickly closed the door behind him and sat against the door. Looking at his bruises, he winced in pain and tears started to fall. He wiped his eyes and held his knees close to his chest. His smell body began to tremble as he started to recall the beating. Suddenly there was a soft knock at the door. "Seto, dear. I have your sheets."

Taking in a shaky breath, the young boy got up and opened the door. Rei was standing there, bags in hand and a worried look on her face. "Seto, are you all right? Gozaburo told me that the servants beat you when you asked for food."

Stunned, Seto stood still with his eyes wide and his breathing uneven. Rei came in and put the bags on the bed. "I'll give them the proper punishment when we're done here."

Seto finally found his voice. "The servants didn't do this! Your husband did this!"

Rei looked at the boy, shocked. "How can you say that? Gozaburo would never hurt a child."

Fresh tears brimmed in his eyes as Seto shook his head. "That's not true! He did beat me!"

Rei went over and hugged Seto. "Gozaburo, is this true?"

The young child froze as Gozaburo cleared his throat. "It is certainly not true. The servants made him promise to frame me."

Seto shook in anger but Rei misinterpreted his trembles for fear. "It's all right, sweetie. They won't hurt you again."

Seto looked behind him at Gozaburo. Gozaburo smirked with an evil glint in his eyes. The young boy fainted from fright and hunger. Rei quickly caught him and laid him out on the bed. "Poor thing. We need to do all we can to take care of him." She then went to find a blanket. Her husband looked at the sleeping boy. "Yes…we will take good care of him." He finished his sentence with an evil looking smirk.

The next morning, Seto woke up to dull pain from his bruises. He shuddered as the memories of the beating came flooding back. Thankfully, Rei was with him from when he woke up from his fainting episode until he went to bed for the night. Gozaburo desired to continue the abuse but decided against showing his wife his true nature. Seto was very grateful for that but he had a sinking feeling that more abuse was on the way.

Seeing a school uniform perched on a nearby chair, he slowly got up and put on his new clothes. He hoped that the school he would be heading to was kinder than the man who society called his Father. Heading for the door, he noticed a framed picture of a young girl with brown hair, wearing a similar uniform and studying with a mountain of books. Seto tilted his head as Rei came in. "Seto, time to—oh, you're already up. How are your bruises?"

Seto nodded, keeping his eyes on the picture. "They're fine. Who is she?"

Rei looked at the picture and smiled sadly. She reached forward and rubbed the top of the picture. "My daughter, Kira. Died of cancer eight years ago when she was your age."

Seto looked at his adoptive mother and gave her a comforting hug. Rei returned the hug. "Thank you."

Seto just nodded. Even at eight, he knew what it was like to lose a loved one. They remained there for a few minutes, lost in their own world, until Gozaburo joined them and slammed the picture down on the table making both his wife and Seto jump. "I thought I told you to get rid of that picture."

Rei straightened up and cleared her throat. "I tried. I cannot get rid of the only thing that we have left of her."

Gozaburo decided not to fight his wife. Instead, he turned his attention to Seto. "You are late. From now on, you will wake at dawn."

Rei left to check on breakfast as Seto glared at the tyrant. "Why do I have to?"

Once Rei was down the stairs, Gozaburo roughly pushed the boy to the ground. "I thought I told you to not until spoken to!"

Seto scooted back as the adult towered over him. "Now, as I was saying, you will wake at dawn and study with the team of teachers that I have hired. You will go through an advanced education program."

Afraid of speaking up, Seto raised his hand. Gozaburo's face scrunched in annoyance but nodded. Gathering his courage, Seto asked, "Will I get any sort of punishment?"

Gozaburo smirked evilly. "Of course. For every minute you're late, I give you a kick. For question you answer incorrectly, the teacher is to hit your knuckles with the sharp side of the ruler." He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a thick, leather dog collar. Seeing that collar, Seto paled. He quickly got up and tried to run for the door. Unfortunately, Gozaburo grabbed the child's shirt collar, stopping him, and tightened the collar around the child's neck. Seto struggled but the collar was hooked. His neck immediately reddened from the collar's edges. "From now on, you will wear this collar…as my pet."

Seto looked up at the terrifying adult. His world and life was becoming a nightmare. Gozaburo opened the door and pushed the child to the ground on the hall. "Now get to your lessons!"

Seto scrambled to his feet and ran to the nearest open door, which was a large library with hundreds of thousands of books. On the center table were five stacks of seven thick textbooks. Five stern teachers stood between the table and a large chalkboard. Even more nervous, Seto sat at the table and took the pencil that was waiting for him. He felt trapped but decided that going through the program was better than being beaten.

Close to midnight, Seto collapsed onto his bed. He had been studying nonstop on subjects that would be considered challenging to a college freshman. There were lessons about history, physical, earth, and biological science, branches of psychology, Spanish, German, and Russian, and every branch or mathematics that existed. Seto tried his hardest to take notes of the lessons and to give correct answers. However, his young brain was unable to come up with the proper answers and his hands received the punishments. He looked at his raw, bloody knuckles. He twitched a finger and whimpered in pain. He unconsciously clawed at his collar, which seemed to have tightened in his mind. However, no matter how much pain he was in, he still had to wake up early so he pulled back the covers and settled into his bed.

His eyes were starting to close when the door slammed open and Gozaburo stood in the doorway, hands clenched into fists. Fearing the worst, Seto covered his face with his pillow. His stepfather stomped over to the child and started to punch his small chest and stomach through the blankets. Seto tried to escape and then fight back, in the process kicking away the blankets, but the older male was much too fast and strong. After a half hour of beatings, Gozaburo stopped, leaving Seto crying and gasping for air. The adult straightened his coat, seemingly pleased with himself, and lifted the child's head by his hair. "When I come home every night, this will be upon bedtime story."

Seto could only squeak in his terror as Gozaburo violently pushed his head back on the pillow and left for the night. Seto covered his injured body with the blankets and trembled in fear and pain. He could tell that the next part of his life would be frightening and painful…assuming that he would survive.

Two years have come and gone for young Seto. Now at the age of ten, he had grown accustomed to his daily schedule. He would wake at dawn and go straight to his lessons. Rei would have breakfast waiting for him and the teachers allowed him to eat while listening to the lesson. After the first few months of kicks for sleeping in and whacks for answering incorrectly, the young boy was able to will himself to get out of bed and work even harder to remember every fact that was taught. He would still occasionally make a mistake and get whacked; however, his knuckles had been filled with scar tissue that he no longer felt the hits.

As soon as his lessons were over, which was usually around midnight, Gozaburo would come into his bedroom and proceed to beat Seto. The arms and legs were bruised from time to time but the abdomen was beaten the most because the bruises could be covered by Seto's shirt and they also made breathing harder for the young boy. Nevertheless, Seto thought that his life could not turn any worse. He learned the harsh truth one cold winter night.

The blizzard outside Seto's window howled harshly, covering the world with snow. The sky was black and starless. Curled up in his bed, Seto tried to block out the cold and the noise. His head was covered with his pillow and his figure was curled up and intertwined with his sheets and blankets. Despite the thick blankets, Seto laid trembling from the cold. He was a little mad at his teachers for cutting his lessons short to head home; he wanted to be in the library since it was the warmest room in the mansion. However, he understood the rules that he was not allowed to leave the bed until dawn.

His eyelids were slowly starting to droop when his door opened slowly. Seto's eyes immediately flew open as he automatically rolled onto his back. The door closed and Gozaburo's familiar footsteps got closer towards the bed. "Cold night."

The small blue eyes shifted to the right, staying as still as possible. "Yes, sir."

His blankets were suddenly removed from the bed. Seto sat up to get his blankets but Gozaburo's hand strongly pressed down, pushing him back onto the bed. "Are you cold?"

Seto knew better than to fight back since such actions would result in vicious hits. "Uh…yes, sir."

Seto heard a zipper unzip and felt the adult's hand slide down to his pajama bottoms. He then heard Gozaburo say in a calm, seductive voice, "How about I…warm you up?"

Forty-five minutes later, Gozaburo got up from the bed and put his pants back on. He looked at the small figure on the bed. "Now…that wasn't so bad, was it?"

Seto was in a lot of pain. Laying on his stomach, he whimpered as hot tears flowed down his cheeks. He was stinging, throbbing, and he thought he smelled blood. Gozaburo gripped the boy's hair and yanked his face into view. "I said…that wasn't so bed, was it?"

Frightened by what could happen if he told the truth, Seto pinched his eyes shut and quickly nodded his head. Gozaburo then pushed Seto's head back down on the pillow. "Good…for this will be a regular thing for you."

After letting the message sink in, Gozaburo left. Seto wanted to lay on his back but the throbbing pain kept him from moving. Defeated, he cried his heart out until he fell asleep. He knew right then and there that his childhood was over.

At the age of thirteen, Seto had become a walking zombie. His nightly assaults had robbed him of his childhood. All his emotions but anger had been destroyed. He obeyed the orders that were given to him numbly. When Gozaburo would beat or assault him, the small boy would not react and take the punishments. He wanted to tell Rei but Gozaburo threatened to kill his wife if she was told. Fearing for her safety, he decided to obey the tyrant. Even so, he kept a knife under his pillow, waiting for the right moment. Yet, he did not realize that the particular moment would be extremely horrible.

That particular night, Seto was laying on his stomach with his hand on the knife handle. He was currently being assaulted by Gozaburo, who appeared to be enjoying himself. Seto was waiting for the right moment to strike when they heard a soft knocking on the door. Rei's voice sounded on the other side. "Seto? Are you asleep?"

Seto lifted his head in hope of being rescued. "Rei! Help me!"

Gozaburo covered the child's mouth but it was too late; Rei opened the door and froze at the sight in front of her. "Oh, my god…"

Seto reached for her but Gozaburo kept the child down. "You shouldn't be so shocked by this."

Rei swallowed hard and shook her head. "But…this is different. He is not our child by birth."

Seto was confused by what his stepparents were saying. Rei took a step back. "You need to stop this…this isn't right."

Gozaburo lifted Seto's head up. 'You are staying here and participating."

Seto's face showed pure shock and so did Rei's face as she shook her head again. "I can't…we shouldn't do this."

Gozaburo growled and tightened his hold on Seto's hair. "Either join me or I'm leaving you."

Seto winced in pain and closed his eyes to endure the throbs. He heard, to his surprise, clothes dropping, Rei whisper, "If you insist…" and felt his stepfather lift him. He felt Rei's hand brush across his head and he realized what she was doing. He still kept his eyes closed so that he would see the nightmare before him.

Forty-five minutes later, Seto laid on his right side on the left side of his bed. His soul itself seemed to have shattered after the double assault. His face was numb but silent tears were falling. His right arm was under his pillow, clutching the knife. He now wanted to kill both of them but a part of him hoped that Rei felt guilty about what she did and would redeem herself.

In his daze, he overheard the conversation between Rei, who was laying on the bed and covered with the blankets, and Gozaburo, who was putting his clothes back on. Rei spoke up. "How long have you done this?"

"Since he was ten."

Rei sighed and ran her hand through her hair. "You should have told me."

Gozaburo sneered. "It was obvious, woman. Besides, you might have stopped my fun."

"That's not true. You've known about my fantasies of having a threesome with our daughter. But it's better with Seto."

New tears spilled over as Seto's shattered heart was shattered once again. He could not believe that the woman he was starting to see as a second mother enjoyed assaulting him. But the next sentence out of her mouth hurt him the most. "I'm in from now on."

Seto rolled over, wincing at the pain, and showed Rei his hurt. "Why…?"

Rei stroked his hair, showing that she was not sorry. "It feels good."

Seto froze in shock. Then his face slowly scrunched into pure anger. Before she could react, he pulled out the knife and slashed Rei's throat. Blood spurted out onto his body as she struggled to breathe. Seeing his wife dying, Gozaburo grabbed Seto and started to strangle the young boy. Seto dropped the knife and tried to loosen the monster's grip on his throat. Rei's final gurgle threw her husband into a rage. He threw the young boy at the wall, knocking the wind out of the small lungs. The tyrant was then at Seto and started to beat him mercilessly. Seto's chest and face was soon red and swollen. Seto cried out in pain and tried to shield himself with his arms but the blows kept coming.

After a few minutes of beating, Seto glanced at the bed and saw the knife. Realizing what he had to do, he ducked under his stepfather and ran to the bed. Gozaburo grabbed the boy but Seto already had the knife in his hand. With a swift move, the young boy turned around and buried the knife into his stepfather's throat.

Seto closed his eyes tight to avoid getting blood in his eyes. The adult fell to the ground with the knife stuck in his neck. Seto wanted to do more to give his stepfather a taste of the torture he inflected on the child. But he knew that any more wounds would make the act murder, not self defense. After Gozaburo breathed his last, Seto breathed a sigh of relief. He was free from future torture…but the damage was still present. Putting on a numb face, he put on an oversized shirt, took off his collar, and went to find a police officer.


	26. Kaiba's Past – Part II

Chapter 26

Kaiba's Past – Part II

Half hour later, Seto was standing in an interrogation room. He could have sat down in the available chair but he was still very sore. Plus, he did not want to get rid of any evidence. He was a little nervous about what he would go through, especially after a rookie cop picked him up.

_Seto had been walking for ten minutes. He hate the smell of the blood that had dried on his body and face. He was wearing a scowl on his face as he tried to get the memories of the double assault from coming back. Seeing a police car coming up, he seized the opportunity. When the squad car came close enough, Seto leapt out in front of it. The police officer slammed on his brakes, stopping the care just inches from the child. The officer quickly stepped out of the car. "Son, what happened to you? Are you all right?"_

_Seto slowly shook his head and gestured a throat slitting with his two right fingers. He then started to walk towards the officer. Afraid for his safety, the nervous officer drew his gun. He was not sure if Seto was the victim or the culprit and he was too afraid to ask. When the blood-covered child appeared unfazed, the cop fired a warning shot into the air._

_Seto did flinch at the loud bang but he continued to walk. Now the officer was really panicked; if the child was unfazed by the gun, the officer assumed that his own life was in danger. He bolted into his car and started it up. Seeing this, Seto ran to the back seat and jumped in, slamming the door behind him. The officer turned around to order the child out of the car but stopped when he saw that Seto was laying across the seat in the fetal position. Now in protective mode, the cop drove him to the nearest station._

Hearing the door open, Seto put on a numb face and turned to see a middle-aged blond detective walk in and sit in the chair on the opposite side of the table. "Have a seat, son."

Seto quickly shook his head. "Who are you?"

"Detective Matthews. I was just at your house. I'm sorry for your loss."

Seto scoffed and crossed his arms. "Why? They deserved it."

Matthews looked at the blood on the young boy. "Kid, what happened?"

With numb tone, Seto replied, "I slit their throats."

Matthews was surprised by both Seto's admission and by how uncaring he seemed to be about what he did. "Why would you kill your own parents?"

Feeling rage, Seto slammed his fists into the table. "They were not my real parents! My mom and dad are dead! They would never rape me like those two demons did!"

Matthews' head snapped up. "They did what to you?"

Seto panted heavily. "You heard me! They raped me and I killed them in self-defense! To make sure they would never hurt me again!"

Matthews sighed and ran his hand through his hair. Now this case had taken an unexpected turn. "We have to verify this, you know."

Seto took off his one piece of clothing and spread his arms. "Snap away."

Getting uncomfortable by the nude child, Matthews covered Seto with his jacket and led the child to the exam room where a police photographer was waiting. Seto cooperated with the photographing, revealing his numerous bruises and scars. However, when a medical doctor came in with a rape kit, Seto became a different person. Matthews asked the child to sit down and Seto obeyed, wincing in slight pain. The doctor sat in front of him and put her hand on his leg. "Lay back and we'll begin the exam."

Memories flooding back into his mind, Seto smacked her hand away and bolted for the door. Matthews grabbed the child and the boy began to fight for his life. He punched, kicked, bit, and threw equipment at both the adults. They tried to get Seto to sit down or at least calm down. Seto, however, was non-responsive and continued to fight off the adults. Another officer came in to assist. Matthews and the officer tackled Seto and pinned the child against the wall. Seto yelled out in anger and pain as the doctor gave the wild child a shot to calm him. Almost immediately, the drug started to take affect; Seto got calm and was soon put under.

About an hour later, Seto woke up in a hospital bed. All the blood was washed off him and he was dressed in a hospital gown. Matthews was sitting next to the bed. "Ah, the young man awakens."

Seto glared at the detective. "What did you do to me?"

Matthews sighed. "We confirmed your story." Seto looked away as the detective continued. "You are not going to get arrested. After seeing that you were in fact raped and that you only gave them one injury, we know what you were acting in self-defense."

Seto merely murmured, "What happens to me now?"

Matthews cleared his throat. "Do you have any relatives who would take you in?" When the child shook his head, Matthews felt like he had hit a wall. He knew he had to find the battered child a home. The question was where. Suddenly he remembered, "Rachel."

Without turning his head, Seto raised his eyebrow and looked at the detective. "Who?"

Matthews smiled sadly. "Rachel…she's my sister. She runs a foster home for children who have committed some sort of crime."

Seto growled and sharply turned so that his back faced the detective. "I'm not a murderer!"

"I understand that. But Rachel can provide you with a bed, food…and much-needed counseling."

Closing his eyes, Seto sighed. "Whatever…do what you want."

After the 24-hour hospital stay and a few hours of questioning, Seto received his clothes from the place where he was abused and was in Matthews' patrol car, on his way to the foster home. Dressed in all back, he had on a numb face, which had become his regular face. When his parents died, he made the decision to not smile again. After five years of abuse, the child had seemingly forgotten how to. Along the way, Seto ignored Matthews' attempts to start a conversation. He just wanted to be left alone to wallow in self-pity.

After a few minutes, the cruiser pulled up to what looked like a tripled-storied college dorm. A woman with strawberry-blond hair was standing outside the front door. Assuming that she was Rachel, Seto got out with Matthews and stood next to the detective, who greeted his sister. "Hello, Rachel. You look well."

Rachel smiled and nodded. "So do you. Is this young boy you told me about…Seto, right?"

Matthews nodded and pushed Seto forward. "Seto, this is Rachel."

Seto just looked at her and nodded his hello. Rachel chuckled. "Quiet one, isn't he?"

Having taken out Seto's suitcase from the back of his car, Matthews nodded and patted Seto's head. He then thought of something. "What did you tell the other permas?"

Rachel smiled. "Noah's excited about having roommate."

Seto looked at her, visibly confused. "Permas?"

Rachel nodded. "Those who live here permanently."

Matthews got in front of Seto and kneeled down so they could be eye to eye. "I have to go now, buddy…but I will visit your whenever I can."

Rachel added, "You'll see him whenever he has a kid for me to take care of."

Seto sighed and nodded. The detective patted the child's head and stood up. Seto suddenly hugged Matthews. "Thank you…for saving me."

Matthews smiled and patter Seto's head again. "It was my pleasure. Take care of yourself."

Pulling away, Seto nodded and watched his savior get into his car and pull out of the parking space. With one final wave, Matthews drove away. Rachel touched the child's shoulder and picked up his suitcase. "Let's get you settled into your new room."

Seto nodded slowly, already feeling the weight of loneliness on his shoulders. Rachel took his small hand and led him inside. In the left corner were a door and a desk with papers on it. She led him to a staircase on the right and took him to the third floor, where six doors were waiting. Rachel pointed to the first door. "That's my room. If you need anything, don't hesitate to get me."

Seto merely shrugged. "Where's my room?"

Unmoved by the boy's numbness, Rachel led him to the third door. As soon as it was unlocked and open, Seto went in and looked around the room. To the right of him was a bunk bed with blue sheets and blankets. Two desks were along the bare wall on the left of Seto. A door was in the center of the opposite wall with two closets on either side of the door. The floor was littered with board games and books of many genres. Rachel cleared his throat and put his suitcase on one of the desks. "I'm sorry about the mess. I told Noah to clean up after himself."

Seto shrugged and went to the bunk bed. To his surprise, the face of a yellow Labrador stuffed animal suddenly appeared in front of him. Rachel chuckled. "I believe in giving every child a toy to snuggle with."

Seto looked at the dog. It had a black and red scarf on its neck. The child slightly shrugged. "He's cute, I guess."

Taking the toy, Seto climbed to the top bunk. Once he was comfortable, Rachel began to explain the schedule. Meals were at Rachel's room. Mornings were for group counseling, afternoons were for free time, and evenings were for "family" time, with individual counseling anytime the child wanted to talk. She stroked his hair as he cuddled the dog. "Rest up. I will see you at dinner."

Seto nodded and stared at the ceiling, Once Rachel left, the child sighed, feeling a mix of emotions. The main emotion was numbness, which was evident on his face. His mind, however, was experiencing a cocktail of different emotions. He was overwhelmed by what had happened today. He was saddened by not seeing Matthews for an undetermined amount of time. He was lonely. He was mad at himself for attacking the nurses. Sighing again, he closed his eyes, planning to awake in a few minutes.

A few hours later, a small hand reached up and gave Seto's arm a small tug. Jolted awake, Seto grabbed the wrist and growled viciously. To his surprise, the sound of laughter sounded. "Wow, you are quick…I like that in a man."

Seto let go of the wrist in disgust and stared at the young boy. Aside from the green hair and kind expression, the small male was a clone of Seto. Dressed in a white skirt and shirt, he curtsied. "Please to meet you, new roomie. My name is Noah and you are…?"

Seto did not answer; instead, he turned his body to face the wall, muttering, "Queer…"

Noah scoffed. "That obvious, huh?"

Seto grunted a "humph" and held his dog tight. Noah climbed up the ladder to look at his roommate. "You might want to get up. It's dinner time and Rachel's making home-made pizza."

Rolling his eyes, Seto sat up and jumped to the floor, still holding his dog. Stepping down off the bunk bed, Noah smiled. "Very impressive, roomie."

Seto merely cringed at Noah's outfit and left for Rachel's room with Noah close behind him. Rachel's room was the same size and had the same central door for the bathroom. However, there was a small kitchen where the desks would have been. Couches were spread out around the room and a single bed replaced the bunk bed. Rachel was pulling the pizza out of the oven and talking to a blond female, a few years older than the boys. She was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a black sports bar. Noah visibly shuddered. "Mai, do you have to war that skanky outfit?"

Mai scoffed and stood up. "Says the boy who's wearing my skirt."

Noah twirled around, showing off his outfit. "I look better in it than you do."

Mai gave a sarcastic laugh and looked at the newcomer. "Who's the kid?"

Rachel started slicing the pizza as she answered. "His name is Seto Kawasaki."

Seto threw his toy angrily to the ground and yelled, "Don't call me Kawasaki! I don't want to be related to their monster!"

The three stared at him with wide eyes, not expecting the outburst. Seto sharply turned around and stormed back to his room. Once there, he sat in a corner and began to sulk. He did not want to be reminded of the years of torment, even though he knew the visible and invisible scars remained. He lowered his head and retreated into his shell. He did not want to be bothered; he just wanted the day to come to an end.

Ten minutes later, Noah came in. "Seto, um…wanna talk about it?"

Seto shook his head. "Go away."

Before he left, Noah tossed his roommate something. "We're saving you a couple of slices. Come eat when you feel better."

When Noah left, Seto looked and saw that his roommate gave him his dog back. He quickly grabbed it and gave his new friend a squeezing hug.

Back in Rachel's room, the two women were chatting while Noah nibbled his slice in silence, worried about Seto. He may not have known the brunette but he could definitely see that there was something bothering him. Just then, the door squeaked open an inch. Seeing this, Rachel got up and opened the door to reveal Seto with his dog in his hands. "Is it still warm?"

Rachel chuckled and led the child into the room.

When night fell, the two boys settled into their bed. Seto wanted to sleep but Noah was in a very talkative mood. The green-haired boy rattle off everything that he wanted his roommate to know his likes and dislikes in his foods, movies, music, and (of course) men. Whenever he asked Seto a question, he was answered with either a grunt or "shut up."

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Noah stopped talking. Relieved, Seto rolled over on his stomach and cuddled his toy dog. His eyes were starting to droop when Noah asked one final question. "What are you here for?"

Seto's eyes shot open and he tensed up. "Uh, you first."

Noah smirked and crossed his arms behind his head. "I'm a thief…been that way since I was seven. See, my parents died when I was five and my brother took care of me, even though he couldn't cure my sticky fingers. But I wanted a free life and ran away when I was nine. I survived on the streets by pick-pocketing and stealing from ATMs…never taking more than $100. I finally got caught when I found an account worth millions. I tried to withdraw $100,000. That was a few months ago."

Seto listened intently. "What about Mai?"

"She's been here for a few years. She sold her body to support her parents' drug habit. Thanks to her putting her so-called parents away, she got to come here instead of jail." He sighed and cheered up. "Now…your turn."

Seto growled quietly but stated, "I killed my step-parents."

Noah's eyes grew wide. "You did what? Why would you do that?"

Seto sneered. "After all the stuff they did to me…they deserved it."

Noah swallowed hard. "Well…if you say so. I guess that means you take top rank."

That caught Seto's attention and he dangled his head over the side. "What do you mean, rank?"

Noah slightly grinned. "We rank crimes as different status. From low to high, the ranks are thief, drug addict, stalker, prostitute, incest, rapist, and murderer."

Seto raised his eyebrow. "So you're the lowest."

Noah grimaced but nodded. "Yes."

Seto smirked. "And I outrank everyone here."

Noah rolled his eyes. "Don't let it get to your head."

Seto merely laid back on his bed, relishing in the idea of being in the top rank.

A few months later, Seto was not fully recovered but he was better from what he was when he first arrived. The brunette was able to open up about the good years and about himself. However, when the abuse would be brought up, Seto would explode in a fit of rage. Noah and Rachel were worried that they would not be able to help the brunette. Seto's help, however, was coming sooner than they expected.

That afternoon, the two roommates were relaxing on their beds. Noah was painting his nails and Seto was writing in a journal that Rachel gave him after his first anger outburst. The brunette grimaced and looked over the edge of the bed. "Can you please go outside and do that?"

Noah shook his head and admired his painted nails. "I don't think so. I enjoy your company."

Seto scoffed. "Funny…I'm the opposite."

Noah gave a sarcastic laugh as the door opened a little and Rachel spoke up on the other side. "Boys, can I come in for a minute? I have someone I want you to meet."

Seto did not look up and slightly shrugged, not caring either way. Rolling his eyes, Noah nodded. "Yes, Rachel. You may come in."

Pushing the door fully open, Rachel came in with a young boy who looked to be nine years old. He had black hair that was down to his shoulder blades and gray eyes with black circles underneath. He was dressed in a gray outfit that was covered with holes. Noah was immediately smitten with the young boy. "Aw, what a cutie! Who might you be?"

The boy hid behind Rachel, who smiled. "This is our new perma, Mokuba."

Noah waved at Mokuba. "Hi there. I'm Noah. The sourpuss above me is Seto K."

Seto slightly growled. Rachel chuckled. "Seto, say hi to the new perma."

Seto groaned and turned but froze when Mokuba peeked out to look at the brunette. The two stared at each other, Seto being the most surprised at his feelings. Mokuba had an aura around him that had a calming effect. Tilting his head, the child went forward towards the bunk bed. Noah stood up and opened his arms. "Coming to give me some sugar?"

Mokuba shook his head and walked right past the older boy. To Noah's and Rachel's surprise, the young boy climbed up to Seto's bed and laid down next to the brunette. Rachel chuckled. "Looks like you got a new friend, Seto."

Shocked himself, Seto looked at Mokuba. The child curled into a fetal position as he looked at the brunette with pleading eyes. Feeling warmth flow into his chest, Seto looked at Rachel. "Can he stay in this room with me?"

Rachel's eyes grew wide. "Uh, I don't know if that's possible."

Mokuba quickly turned around and spoke in a hoarse, young voice. "This is my bed, with Seto as my teddy bear."

Seto gave a slight blush and looked at the kid. Seeing that Mokuba was serious and remembering his condition, Rachel made a decision. "You can stay…if Seto opens up more in group therapy."

Seto did not like that idea at all. He did not want anyone to know about the abuse he went through. However, one look from Mokuba and Seto nodded in agreement. When Rachel left, Noah climbed up and sat next to the brunette. "How come you get all the love?"

Seto shrugged. "How should I know?"

Ignoring the brunette, Noah turned to the young, new roommate. "So what are you in for?"

Mokuba rolled up his left sleeve to show needle marks. "Heroin addict…for two years now."

Noah grimaced as Seto studied the marks. Seeing his look, Mokuba rolled his eyes. "I used different needles. I'm not that stupid."

Seto slightly nodded. "That's good to hear…but that's not why I'm staring. I…have scars of my own."

Mokuba tilted his head as Noah scoffed. "Seto, we know you have scars. Why else wouldn't you want to open up during group sessions?"

Ignoring the young queen, Seto took off his shirt. He then started to point out the various scars on his chest. "Every time that demon would hit me, I would use a knife to get the pooled blood out."

Noah was impressed while Mokuba appeared to be sad. "You didn't deserve to be hit like that."

Seto smirked. "What do you say we put our problems behind us…together?"

Mokuba smiled brightly.

Five months later, Seto woke up to Mokuba's sleeping face. He gave a small smile that was only seen in private and only by Mokuba. The child had made more of an impact on the brunette than the months of counseling. He opened up more and revealed more about the dark parts of his life. Rachel and other permas could not believe what they were hearing. Rachel provided counseling, Mai provided a shoulder, and Noah reluctantly lent the brunette an ear to yell into. As for Mokuba, all he had to do was be around Seto to calm him. Seto did not understand what was it about the child that affected him so much but he was grateful.

Face twitching, Mokuba slowly woke up. Seto rubbed his shoulder to wake him up a little faster. "Morning, kid."

Mokuba rubbed his eye sleepily. "Morning, Seto."

"Sleep well?"

The young boy simply nodded and pulled the blankets over them, going back to sleep. Shaking his head in amusement, Seto sat up, taking the blankets with him. "Time to get up."

Mokuba whined. "Five more minutes."

Getting an idea, Seto spoke loud enough for the whole room to hear. "If you don't get up, I'll have Noah kiss you."

Noah's head quickly come into view. "Pucker up, kid."

Mokuba quickly climbed down and rushed to the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. Noah whined. "He never wants to kiss me."

Seto jumped down to the floor. "I don't blame him."

Noah let out a sarcastic laugh when Rachel came in. "Boys, I have to cancel group session today."

Hearing this, Mokuba peeked out. "How come?"

"Matthews is bringing two more kids and I need to do individual sessions with each of them."

Opposite to Seto's blank stare, Noah and Mokuba were very happy to having new permas. Rachel then remembered, "Noah, I need you to pack up and move to the other boy room."

This time, all three boys were shocked. Noah had to sit back to keep from fainting. "Why me?"

"Because it's easier moving one boy than two and it's required that these new boys remain separate."

Noah grumbled but did as he was told. He gathered up his clothing and makeup and left for the other room. As he was exiting, Matthews entered, causing Seto to smirk and Mokuba to hide behind the door. "Hello, boys."

Seto nodded his hello. "Long time no see, Matthews."

Seeing Mokuba, the officer was hit with recognition. "I see you're rooming with Mokuba Kaiba."

Looking surprised, Seto looked at Mokuba and back at Matthews. "You know him?"

"Busted first his parents and then him for heroin."

Mokuba gave a weak wave as Rachel reached out into the hall and pulled in two boys. Mokuba and Seto started to look them over, studying every feature. They were both a little shorter than Seto and appeared to be barely twelve. However, their appearances were as different as night and day.

The boy on the left had his backpack on his right shoulder. His hair was brown dreadlocks and sticking out of the back of his white baseball hat. His outfit was made of oversized jeans with a belt keeping it tight across his behind, a gray shirt and jacket that were also extremely oversized, and white shoes. His teeth were fiddling with a lip ring on the left side of his lower lip and he was being held by the other boy.

The boy on the right seemed to be the embodiment of punk and rock and roll. The only thing out of place was the backpack on his left shoulder. Most of his black hair was short and styled into spikes. His bangs, on the other hand, was coming the entire left side of his face, stiff from gel. The side that remained uncovered revealed an eyebrow ring and black eye makeup. His outfit was black and skin-tight. His black shirt was covered with a black motorcycle jacket. His pants were black jeans with zipper pockets. The hands that were around the other boy sported fingernails painted black.

Mokuba raised his eyebrow. "Who chose those styles?"

Matthews, smirking from the joke, pulled the boys apart and stood between them. Seeing this, Seto scowled at Matthews. "You brought these two here to cure their gayness? That's despicable."

Matthews shook his head. "That's not it at all. Even if one of them was a girl, they can't be in a relationship like that."

Mokuba tilted his head. "Why is that?"

"They're twins."

Mokuba immediately reacted from being grossed out. Seto looked like he was going to throw up. "Sorry I snapped at you, Matthews."

Matthews smiled as Rachel, who had been making sure that Noah did not leave any of his things behind, turned to the boys with dreadlocks. "Come with me, Numora. You and I should get to know each other."

Numora nodded while dropping his backpack on the ground. He then snuck in a kiss to his brother and left with Rachel. Shaking his head in disgust, Matthews left with a final wave to Seto. The brunette then looked at the new perma. "You're with your own twin brother? I've heard of a lot of sick things and yours is right up there."

Mokuba nodded. "Seto's right, you sicko."

The boy scowled. "The name's Kyoto, midget."

Seto stood to his full height. "Watch what you say about Mokuba!"

Kyoto went up to Seto and stared him right in the eye. "Or what?"

To Seto's surprise, he immediately felt a strong sense of hatred towards Kyoto. The feelings were not as strong as the hatred he felt towards his stepparents…but it was close. Resisting the urge to attack Kyoto, Seto stared back. "Or I'll give you your tongue on a plate."

Mokuba got a little worried as he got back to the top bunk. "Seto, don't do it. He's not worth it."

Kyoto brushed past the brunette and flung himself onto the lower bed. "This stinks."

Mokuba looked over the edge of the bed. "It doesn't have to."

Kyoto scoffed. "You're not here for being in love."

"True…we're here for more serious charges."

Hearing this, Kyoto looked at the upside down head. "How so?"

"I'm a druggie…Seto killed his step-parents in self-defense."

Kyoto looked at the brunette. "Yeah right."

Seto growled. "You don't believe me?"

Kyoto shook his head as Rachel stuck her head in. "Kyoto, come with me."

Standing up, Kyoto rudely pushed past Seto and left with Rachel. Mokuba looked at his friend. "What do you think?"

Getting his book, Seto sighed. "Things won't be pleasant."


	27. Kaiba's Past – Part III

Chapter 27

Kaiba's Past – Part III

Three months into the twins' stay, the permas were at odds. Seto could not shake his hatred for Kyoto and was constantly arguing with the younger. Mokuba did not understand the hatred but still took Seto's side. Noah became friends with Numora, even though he did not condone the twins' relationship. Maid did not care for either of them, saying their lives were none of her business. However, that particular day, the twins and Seto would forever set their hatred for the rest of their lives.

At the counseling session, Kyoto pulled out a piece of paper. Seeing this, Rachel asked, "What is that?"

Kyoto sighed. "It's a poem…dedicated to Sam."

Rachel leaned forward a little in her chair. "Who is Sam?"

Kyoto lowered his head. "My first boyfriend…who killed himself last year."

Seto ignored his enemy while Numora and Noah leaned forward to pay close attention. Rachel nodded in sympathy. "I am sorry to hear that. Do you want to talk about it?"

Sniffling, Kyoto nodded. "Sam and I…were inseparable. We did everything together."

Seto scoffed. "That's what inseparable means."

Rachel shushed him. "Do not interrupt. Kyoto, please continue."

Glaring at Seto who glared back, Kyoto continued his story. "A year ago, he overheard his parents planning to put him up for adoption. The dumb part is…they were taking about their kitten that was also called Sam. My Sam did not hear the whole conversation…just enough to get the wrong idea. He waited until I came over to get on the roof. I went up to try to get him to stop but…he jumped…right in front…of me."

Numora went and hugged his brother as Kyoto started to cry. The dreadlock-headed boy spoke up. "That's when we got together. I've always love him and I made my move after he recovered."

Rachel sighed. "I'm glad you helped Kyoto but your relationship is still unacceptable."

Kyoto hissed and stood up. "You will never understand the love we have for each other!"

Seto scoffed. "Oh, I understand."

Kyoto looked at the brunette. "You do?"

Seto nodded. "Of course. You wanted your rocks off and your brother happened to be convenient."

Mokuba and Noah snickered while Rachel pushed Seto to his knees. "Seto Kawasaki, you apologize right this minute!"

Seto growled at the mention of his last name. But Kyoto stormed out with angry tears. Numora followed his brother and Rachel did not stop him. "You must control your tongue, Seto."

Seto sat back on his seat and crossed his arms. "That just slipped out."

"Well, you need to think before you speak." The child rolled his eyes as Rachel looked up at the three others. "Is there anything else that we want to talk about?"

Mai left as her answer. Mokuba cleared his throat. "Um…well…I have a birthday present for Seto."

Noah looked up. "But that's tomorrow."

Mokuba pulled out a piece of paper. "I know…but I wanted to give it to him now."

Seto slightly blushed. "Thanks."

Mokuba smiled. "It's a poem, dedicated to your growth here."

"What's it called?"

"'Painful Truth'…and it talks about never giving up, even when you feel like ending your life."

Seto was touched by what the young boy. He took the poem and started to read it. The poem took on the structure of a song. It had great sadness but there seemed to be a faint glimmer of hope that, even when all hope seems lose, there is a light at the end where one can heal. Seto choked up and tears formed. "Mokuba…thank you so much."

The young boy went and hugged the brunette. "You're welcome…big brother."

Seto's heart squeezed as Noah pouted. "What about me?"

Mokuba shrugged. "You are a brother…just not as special as Seto."

Seto gave the gay boy a prideful smirk, which made him stick his tongue out and made Mokuba laugh.

That evening, Seto and Mokuba were playing on their game consoles when Kyoto came in with a long box that appeared heavy. Mokuba was the first to notice. "What's with the box?"

Before Kyoto could answer, Seto jumped down and grabbed the box. "It finally came!"

Kyoto scowled. "You're welcome for bringing it up stairs for you."

The brunette ignored his enemy and quickly opened the box to reveal a black electric guitar. Mokuba's eyes shone. "Wow! When did you order that?"

Seto got the guitar out and admired it. "Ordered it a week ago."

Kyoto scowled. "Like a kid like you could afford an electric guitar like that."

Seto glared at his roommate. "It's called an inheritance…from my parents and step-mother."

Mokuba grinned as they heard Rachel ring the dinner bell. The three headed to Rachel's room. If they took a look back, they would have seen Numora sneak in with a paper bag and exit a few seconds later empty-handed.

That evening, Seto was strumming his new guitar, Mokuba was picking up the room, and Kyoto was changing into his pajamas. The wannabe punk was glaring at the brunette, still angry about he made about the twins' relationship. "You're a real jerk, you know that?"

As Mokuba went into the bathroom to shower, Seto rolled his eyes. "I call 'em as I see 'em."

Kyoto hissed like a cat and joined Mokuba in the bathroom. Now alone, Seto put on his headset and started to listen to music from his favorite band as loud as he could, pretending to rock out with his own guitar. Because the music was so loud, he could not hear the argument between Kyoto and Mokuba about the bag that Numora left for the young boy. Mokuba was struggling to decide whether or not he should take the gifts and Kyoto was trying to talk him out of using the stuff. After ten minutes of arguing, Kyoto stormed out and flopped on his bed with a frustrated groan. Seeing this, Seto paused his music and looked at the lower bunkmate. "What's your problem?"

Kyoto rolled on his side, showing his back, and did not answer. Rolling his eyes, Seto got down off his bed and started to change into his blue pajamas. Once dressed, he knocked on the bathroom door. "Mokuba, are you okay?"

A shaky voice answered, "Yeah…never better."

Seto grew concerned. "Are you sure? You don't sound like yourself. Let me come in."

There was a sound of scuffing and the door locking. "No…I need my privacy."

Seto opened his mouth to say another statement but Kyoto spoke up first. "Just finish up in there and give me back my magazine."

Kyoto knew that Mokuba was using the magazine so he could snort some shots. Seto, on the other hand, had his mind in the gutter and went back to his bunk. "Just don't make a mess in there."

Mokuba gave out a little whimper. "Okay…"

Seto was a little worried but though nothing of it. He climbed up onto his bed and got under covers with his guitar laying between him and the wall. He stared at the ceiling for a few moments, thinking about his birthday that was just hours away. He could only hope that his second teenage year would be a memorable one.

As he turned his back to his guitar, he saw Mokuba climb up into bed and lay down, cuddling with the brunette. Seto raised his eyebrow in confusion. "Thought you weren't gay."

Mokuba sniffed a little and rubbed his nose. "I'm not…but I…love you, big brother."

Seto blushed in surprise at what the small boy said. He never thought that he would ever hear those three words after his parents died. The brunette smiled softly and hugged Mokuba. "I love you too, kid."

Mokuba shuddered in coldness and closed his eyes for the night. Seto chuckled and fell asleep as well.

Sunlight poured in the room, hitting Seto in the eyes. The brunette rubbed his eyes, rubbing the sleep away. He smiled softly, remembering that he was now officially fourteen years old. After stretching his arms for the first time as a fourteen year old, he looked at Mokuba. "Raise and shine, kid."

Mokuba did not respond; he did not even twitch. Seto tilted his head and tossed the blankets off of them. Once again, the child did not respond. Now worried, Seto sat up to level himself. "Mokuba, wake up."

The boy stayed silent as the sun hit his face. His face was pale blue and his neck was covered with needle marks. Seto paled and he had trouble breathing…for he realized what was wrong. Just to make sure, he checked his friend's pulse and breathing pattern. There was no doubt anymore; Mokuba was dead. Seto screamed in sadness, waking the entire floor, and started to frantically perform CPR on Mokuba.

Kyoto growled at being startled out of bed but his eyes grew wide when Mokuba's arm flopped down over the side of the bed. The other floor occupants ran into the room and quickly figured out what happened. Numora collapsed to a sitting position, stunned that Mokuba OD'ed with the stuff he gave him. Not a fan of death, Noah had to race to the bathroom to throw up. Mai teared up and looked away. Rachel ran to her room to call for an ambulance. All the while, Seto was sobbing almost violently as he kept giving CPR.

Half hour later, the ambulance took Mokuba away in a body bag and everyone was in Seto's room. Noah and Mai were holding each other and Numora was hugging a shaken Kyoto. Seto was numbly looking out the window, watching the ambulance being loaded up and drive away. Rachel went to him and touched his shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Seto."

Seto stayed silent. Kyoto sighed. "I'm going to miss the little guy."

Seto growled and ran to the punk. Before anyone could react, Seto had Kyoto on the ground and was punching him in the face. "Don't talk about Mokuba, you murderer! You killed him!"

Rachel pulled Seto off Kyoto. "Seto, stop!"

Angry tears formed and fell from the child's eyes. "He's a murderer! He gave Mokuba drugs last night!"

With Rachel holding Seto back, Noah went into the bathroom. Not five seconds later, he came back with the paper bag, filled with empty bags and three used needles. Kyoto felt a little guilty. "I tried to stop him but he wouldn't listen!"

Seto did not believe him. "You're lying! You gave it to him and convinced Mokuba to use again!"

Kyoto frantically shook his head. "I did not! I'm telling you the truth!"

Numora held his brother/lover back. He wanted to confess that he supplied the drugs but kept his mouth shut. He hated to see Kyoto being falsely blamed for a mistake the dreadlocked boy made. But he knew that there was no evidence towards the punker and Numora was not going to be separated from his twin. With that in mind, he led his brother into the other room. Rachel let them go and kept holding Seto, who was still hissing, "Murderer…"

Noah dropped the bag by the bathroom and sat at one of the desks. "I can't believe it…he's gone."

Seto lowered his head. He stayed silent as tears fell from his eyes. He never believed that Mokuba, his last chance at happiness, would be killed, let alone on the brunette's birthday. Seto knew he would never recover from this tragedy.

Later that day, Seto was sitting on the top bunk in a daze. He could not bring himself to do anything because everything reminded him of Mokuba. Even sitting on the bed was torture because he could see the child's limp body.

As Rachel rang the dinner bell, Kyoto came in the room. Seto scowled, for he was still convinced that Kyoto was Mokuba's murderer. The brunette jumped down and literally pushed Kyoto out of his way. The punk growled. "Innocent until proven guilty, jerk."

Seto stopped at the door. He knew that as well so he started to lay out what he considered to be evidence. "You hate me and Mokuba. You knew Mokuba still had craves. You like to see me in pain. You were the last to be with Mokuba in the place where the drugs were. But, most of all…you want revenge for what I said earlier." With that, the brunette left in a huff.

Seto entered Rachel's room and could feel the sadness that was hovering. Noah and Mai were picking at their pasta, seemingly not hungry. Rachel had on a sad smile as she started to serve Seto. "Is Kyoto coming?"

Seto sharply shrugged as he took his plate and walked off to sit in the corner. Before serving herself, Rachel left to find the twins. May looked up from her plate at the brunette. "Seto, how you feeling?"

Seto glared coldly. "How do you think?"

Mai sighed. "Seto, you're not the only one who's lost someone. Mokuba was like a little brother to all of us."

The brunette hissed in response and turned his attention back to his meal. Noah slowly slurped a noodle. "Give him time; we're all still in shock."

Mai nodded as Rachel reentered and quickly went to the phone. The blond sat up in alarm. "Rachel, what's wrong?"

In the midst of dialing, Rachel answered, "Kyoto and Numora have run away."

Noah and Mai became stunned at the news. Seto, on the other hand, scowled for this was another piece of proof that Kyoto was guilty.

Days came and went. Now at the age of seventeen, Seto had reverted back to his numb, unresponsive state as he was in when he first arrived. He refused to open up at the meetings; it was debated whether or not he even listened. Rachel and Noah were extremely worried while Mai, who had left a few years ago, did not seem to care. She merely stayed out of the brunette's way when she came to visit from work. Seto was silently glad, for he did not want his sealed wounds to be reopened. Yet, despite best efforts, Seto could not full escape from the past, as was discovered one evening at dinner.

Rachel had served Mexican, which made Noah exceptionally happy. He was munching his food with a goofy smile, making Mai cringe. "Must you always eat with that stupid grin on your face?"

Noah giggled after his swallow. "I can't help it, girl. I love spicy things…both in and out of the kitchen."

The blond shuddered. "You fag."

Noah glared and would have retorted if Rachel had not intervened. "That's enough, you two. Simmer down and let's enjoy a nice dinner together."

Mai answered by continuing to eat. Noah looked at Seto who was silently eating on the couch. "Seto, you okay?"

The brunette shrugged. "Same old, same old."

Noah went and sat next to him. "Anything we can do?"

Seto looked at the TV. Seeing this, Rachel got the remote and turned on the box. The channel that appeared was a music channel, with a host speaking. "In the music world, there is a new band that is taking the globe by storm. Since their appearance last year, the German band _Last Resort_ has captured the hearts of millions of fans with their memorable music and diversity among their appearances."

The screen then moved to a music video. The first scene showed a pair of hands being held out, as if checking for rain. When a black drop landed on the left hand, the scene abruptly changed to a close up of the owner of the hands…Kyoto. All but Seto reacted with wide eyes, especially when Numora was revealed to be the guitarist of the band. The twins looked almost exactly the same with the exception of a couple of minor changes; Numora ditched his hat and cut his dreadlocks to his shoulder blades, which was evident in the scenes when he did not have his locks tied back, and Kyoto had a tattoo of a wooden stack on the back of his neck. The other two members appeared to be pure German. They wore clothes that looked like a combination of skater and rock style. The bassist has brown hair down to his chin while the drummer covered his hair with a white hat.

Seto, upon seeing his arch nemesis, threw his plate at the wall, shattering the plate and destroying the food. Shocked at his behavior, Rachel grabbed his arm and dragged him out into the hall as if he was still a child. "That was inexcusable, young man!"

Seto took his hand back and growled, "It's what I can do since I can't kill him myself!"

"Seto, you can't hold onto this kind of hate! It's not healthy!"

The teenager hissed. "My anger is justified! He killed Mokuba!"

Rachel crossed her arms. "Do you have any proof of that?"

"He was the last person to be with Mokuba and that punk hated my guts!" Seto's eyes started to brim with hot, angry tears.

Rachel reached over and hugged him. "Seto, I know you're very upset but there's nothing you can do."

Seto did not hug back and did not respond to his caretaker. Rachel sighed and wiped away his tears. "Will you be civil now?"

He shook his head. "Not as long as he's on screen."

Rachel nodded, understanding his feelings. Even if they changed the channel, he would still be very upset that he saw Kyoto's face. "Very well. If you've had enough to eat, you can go to bed."

Seto did not need to be told twice. He stormed to his room and slammed the door. Rachel sighed and joined Noah and Mai. Noah looked up from his meal. "Where's Seto?"

The caretaker sat on the couch. "He went to bed. He can't stand seeing Kyoto, even if we change the channel for him."

Looking up from cleaning Seto's mess, Mai watched the end of the music video, which ended with another close up of Kyoto, now covered with black paint. She looked at his face and admitted, "I can't tell if he's guilty or not."

Noah smirked, for the opportunity was too great to pass up. "I thought you've seen your share of guilty faces." The former prostitute flung a piece of chicken at the queer boy, who ducked while laughing.

Meanwhile, in his room, Seto was seething. He could not believe that his arch enemy was now famous. In his mind, Kyoto deserved nothing but a slow and painful death for providing Mokuba the drugs. But the brunette had no idea how to get back at Kyoto. He then caught a glimpse of his guitar that was gathering dust in a far corner of the room. The light bulb went on in his head. He got down, went to his desk, and started to feverishly write. He now knew what he had to do: he would destroy Kyoto with a band of his own. Even with his vision clear in his head, he knew he had a lot of work to do to overtake the music world and crush Kyoto. Nevertheless, if it meant symbolically killing Kyoto and avenging Mokuba, he was willing to do anything he had to do.

Now at the age of nineteen, Seto had both changed and did not change at all. He remained in his shell, unwilling to let anyone in. His outer appearance, however, had changed dramatically. He grew his hair out. His clothes slowly started to blend the styles of high-powered executive and hard-core rocker. Every free moment he had was dedicated to either practicing the guitar or working on song lyrics. He was slowly but surely becoming a rocker.

One evening, Seto was rehearsing a tune that he made up for the song sheet that was in front of him. The title was 'Bright Happiness and Crushing Death;' below the title was the sentence "For Mokuba." Noah walked in and looked at the damaged brunette. "Dude, you look exhausted."

Seto glared at his gay friend. "What do you care?"

"Just because I don't live with you anymore doesn't mean I can't hear the racket that your guitar makes."

The brunette growled. "Well, get earplugs because I'm not going to stop."

Noah rolled his eyes muttered, "Gods, I lovingly hate you."

Seto hit a wrong chord, making the other stop going towards the door, and asked, "What did you say?"

Pretending to be unafraid, Noah turned around. "I lovingly hate you. Heard me now?"

Seto nodded and quickly got out his notepad from under his pillow. He opened to a blank page and started to jot down a few things. The green-haired queen tilted his head. "What the hell are you doing?"

Without looking up from his writings, Seto answered, "You gave me an idea for a song. It might even be my first single."

Noah leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. "Do you really think you can make it? It seems like one of those impossible dreams that never get off the ground."

Seto knew his comrade was probably right. After all, only a few bands out of hundreds make it to the public eye. Even with this thought, Seto refused to either acknowledge the thought or let the fairy have the last word. "Oh, and your dream of being in a show with other gays is easier to get?"

Noah crimsoned. "Well…I…uh…d-don't mock my dream."

Seto growled and glared. "Then don't mock mine!"

Noah scoffed. "I wouldn't call it a dream. You only decided to do this to get revenge on Kyoto." He knew better than to express his doubts in Kyoto's involvement in Mokuba's overdose.

Seto sneered. "So what? At least I plan on getting revenge. Mai should do that to her parents."

Noah rolled his eyes and changed the subject. "When are you going to pack?"

Seto raised his eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

Noah groaned in frustration. "You need to pay attention some more. We're nineteen now; we have to leave since we're not kids anymore. Didn't you notice Mai was just visiting for the last years?"

Seto sat up with a hint of alarm. "Where the hell are we supposed to go?"

Noah scoffed. "You have the fortune, you'll be fine."

Rachel then peeked into the room. "Noah, are you ready to go?"

Noah nodded and went to his stuff. She then looked at Seto. "Aren't you packed?"

Seto got down off the bunk and started to pack his backpack. "No…thanks to my zoning out, I had no idea Noah and I had to move out today."

Rachel sighed. "Seto, you didn't think you were going to live here forever, did you?"

Seto shook his head. "No, I knew…just hard to accept since this place came to be like my home. It's going to be hard to find a new place."

Rachel went and hugged the brunette. "I know. But you're welcome to come by any time you want."

Seto shrugged as he broke away and finished packing his belongings. He only had a few outfits and undergarments. He tossed his notepads in a side pocket and put his guitar in its bag. Rachel watched him intently. "What do you plan to do now?"

Seto shrugged. "I don't know. I just need to find an apartment first. After that…I'll just focus on trying to get a job before I get a band together."

Rachel nodded and left the young man alone for a brief moment. Before getting his things together, Seto looked at his toy dog that was on his bed. He sighed deeply and hugged the dog for a moment. In his mind, the dog was a substitute for Mokuba. After taking a look around the room, he put his dog in his backpack where its head was sticking out, gathered his things together and headed downstairs. He could hear Noah downstairs and sighed, knowing that they would soon be leaving. Once downstairs, he put his backpack on his back and waited, grimacing at Noah and his dress. Even after all these years, he still was not used to Noah being so open about his sexuality.

Minutes later, Rachel came down to see them off. She smiled at the boys; it was a proud smile. "I can't believe that you two are leaving. You've been living here since you were thirteen…I've actually come to see you two as my little brothers."

Seto tensed up at the words "little brothers;" it made him remember Mokuba. Granted, Rachel did not say the words to upset the brunette so he kept his anger under control. Noah wiped a tear away and hugged Rachel. "I don't want to go!"

She smiled and hugged him back. "I know but I'm not closing the door for good."

Noah nodded and then hugged Seto, making the brunette cringe. "What are you doing?"

The queer young man looked up. "My friend, we won't be able to live together anymore. Who knows when we will see each other again?"

Seto rolled his eyes. "You will find me eventually. You always do."

Noah nodded and left. Rachel smiled and waved. "Goodbye, Noah Lee." Once he was gone, she looked at Seto. "Are you ready, Seto?"

Seto nodded and went to the door. He did not want to look at her since those types of goodbyes were never pleasant for him. Before she could say his name, he said, "Don't call me Kawasaki…call me Kaiba." With that, Seto Kaiba left to face the world.


	28. We Belong Together

Chapter 28

We Belong Together

After what seemed like an eternity, Kaiba stopped talking. Katsuya, who had been listening intently, did not move for a couple minutes. During the telling of his past, Kaiba did take a few breaks to catch his breath, especially when talking about the abuse and waking up next to Mokuba's corpse. A few minutes passed, however, and the blond realized that Kaiba was finished. "Um…if I may ask…how did you get engaged to Serenity?"

Kaiba sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "That was not really my choice. A couple years ago, Rachel asked me to help her with Serenity, who was the new perma. I was extremely blunt with her and got her to open up after I snapped at her for a couple of days. Serenity became in love with me and Rachel made the engagement. When I heard that, I ran until Serenity finally caught me."

Katsuya laughed. "She seems to be in love with you."

Kaiba shook his head. "Yeah right. She likes the way I was, what she called, painfully honest. I was just pissed at her whining and wanted her to shut up."

Katsuya smiled and hugged Seto's arm. "Well, you are very blunt."

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "You and Serenity are both pathetic, you know that?"

The blond turned his head so that he was looking his lover straight in the eye. "If I'm so pathetic, why do you keep letting me back in?"

Kaiba did not answer; instead, he asked a question. "What made you come back? I thought you were going to stay away for good after those harsh words."

Katsuya shuddered a little, remembering just how harsh the brunette was. "Well, I almost didn't come back…but Aya convinced me otherwise."

Kaiba raised his eyebrow in surprise. "How did she help?"

"She sang 'Love Beyond the Bounds of Time' to me and that gave me the strength to come after you again."

Kaiba scoffed with disbelief. He was only half-surprised by what Katsuya said. "Do you understand why she chose that song?"

Katsuya tilted his head. "Um…I'm going to guess that it's because she thought it fit the situation."

Kaiba shook his head with a smirk on his face. "A while ago, after she met you and learned the depth of your feelings for me…she told me that 'Love Beyond the Bounds of Time' seemed like the theme song for our relationship. We were always in each other's hearts. Not only that…but each of us took over the other's heart."

Katsuya then saw the opportunity to make a joke. "You mean, you have a heart?"

Kaiba sneered and smacked the blond's face with a pillow. "Very funny."

Katsuya smiled and laid his head on the brunette's lap. "Come on, you tease me all the time. I should be allowed to tease you as well."

Kaiba looked down at the blond. "I suppose." He was about to say something else but Andrew came in with a worried look on his face. The brunette glared at his drummer. "Do you mind?"

Andrew blushed a little at interrupting. Still, what he had to say was important. "Kaiba, you got company…BAD company."

Kaiba stiffened, knowing what his friend meant. Katsuya, however, was lost. "Who is it?"

As if on cue, Kyoto burst through the door and tried to attack Kaiba. Numora and Andrew held the singer back. "You bastard! You broke the agreement!"

Kaiba growled, "You forced this damn agreement on me!"

Katsuya sat up and covered the brunette with his body. He just got his lover back; he was not about to lose him again, especially to their enemy. "You stay away from him!"

Kyoto growled. "You should not be here, you bastard!"

Katsuya hissed like a cat. "You need to stop messing with my lover!"

Kyoto smirked evilly and pulled out a roll of film. "You really need to change your tone of voice. If your blond brain can even comprehend what this is, you should know better than to mess with me."

Katsuya realized what the roll of film was: it contained the pictures of the pretend rape that Austen gave him. He reached for the roll but Kyoto held it high. "You can't take it."

Andrew tried to take the film as well. Kyoto broke away and got to the kitchen. He grabbed a knife and used it to defend himself. Andrew knew better than to mess with a knife and backed away. Katsuya growled but still stayed in front of Kaiba to protect his lover. Numora held out his hands towards his lover/brother. "Love, put the knife down. You don't want to do this."

Kyoto looked at Numora. "This is just defense. I need to protect us!"

Numora shook his head. "This is not what I want! You can't protect us like this!" He then reached his hand out. "Give me the film! We need to leave!"

The singer shook his head. "I'm trying to protect us! If I give you the film—"

Kaiba then spoke up, "I will not call Matthews."

Kyoto and Numora froze at the mention of the detective that brought them to the foster home all those years ago. Numora looked back at the brunette. "You're bluffing."

Kaiba held up his opened phone. The number that was on display had the name Matthews above it. The brunette smirked. "You know…he's still looking for you guys. I did promise to let him know if I saw you guys again. Your manager did a good job at erasing you from his sight but that can't last forever. Don't forget…you two are still criminals."

Kyoto dropped the knife in shock. He no longer cared about his pride; he needed to make sure that he did not get separated from his lover/brother. He dropped to his knees, letting the film roll away from him. Andrew quickly snatched it up and ripped the negatives out of the protective roll, destroying them for good. Numora quickly went to Kyoto and hugged him protectively. He then glared at the brunette. "How dare you!"

Kaiba numbly shrugged. "All's fair in such times."

Kyoto growled and left. He did not want to get into an argument about how fair people should be since he himself was not that fair. Before going after the singer, Numora glared at Kaiba. "You didn't have to threaten him like that. Yes, he went a little far but he's just trying to protect me."

Kaiba glared at the guitarist. "Well, he deserved it for killing Mokuba."

Not wanting to get involved but still wanting a say, Katsuya nodded his head in agreement. Numora glared up at the brunette. He wanted to tell Kaiba that he was the one who gave Mokuba the drugs on that fateful day. However, he knew that he needed to keep quiet because he knew that Kyoto was safe from lack of evidence; if Numora confessed now, he would be locked up and away from his twin. He could not let that happen, under any circumstances. "Look, just…leave him alone."

Kaiba crossed his arms. "I will if he stays away from me and everyone else in my life."

Numora just nodded and took off after his lover. Katsuya hugged the brunette's arm and smiled up at him. "I'm proud of you, sticking up for yourself like that."

Kaiba did not look at the smaller male. Instead, he turned his attention to Andrew. "Was warning me about those two losers the only reason you came back?"

Andrew snickered and shook his head. "Nope. I came back to let you know that everyone has gone to the gay floor of HeavyMetal Amazon for celebration…" he looked at Katsuya, "…though I think the celebration can be cancelled now."

Katsuya tilted his head. "If you're all straight, why are you going to the gay floor?"

Kaiba flicked the blond's forehead. "We told you a while ago, stupid. They have the best liquor."

Katsuya touched his forming red mark on his forehead and gave a playful frown at his lover. Andrew then asked, "Would you like to join us?"

Katsuya nodded with enthusiasm. "Yeah, I would!"

Kaiba looked at Katsuya's outfit. "You may want to fix your outfit before you go with us."

"What are you talking about? This outfit's fine."

Kaiba scoffed. "Yeah, if you're trying to hide in the dark."

Andrew covered Kaiba's mouth. "You may want to put on something more fun, especially since your little emotional moment is over."

Katsuya nodded and smiled. "All right. I'll go change and meet you there in about an hour." He reached up, kissed the brunette's cheek and left to go back to his apartment. Andrew looked at Kaiba. "Mind explaining yourself, Mr. Dedicated-Bachelor?"

Kaiba shrugged. "I can't…I'll just show."

Back at the apartment, Katsuya immediately noticed the top of Naoki's head peeking out from the front end of the couch, moving back and forth. He looked on the other side and noticed two small feet sticking out with their toes curled. The blond immediately snickered, assuming he knew who was under the guitarist. "Finally got Riku, my friend?"

Naoki froze at the sound of Katsuya's voice. Using his arms on the couch arm, he lifted himself up a little to fully look at the blond. "Um…no."

Just then, Katsuya felt someone smack the back of his head. He turned around and saw Riku standing behind him with a scowl on her face. "Very funny, brother."

Katsuya smiled and hugged his sister. "Hey! I haven't heard from you in a while. Where have you been?"

Riku smiled and hugged her brother back. "I'm going to Europe…for a month."

Katsuya pouted but remembered why. "I see you got into the program. When do you leave?"

"In a few days but I'll be busy packing so I decided to drop by and say goodbye now."

Katsuya shook his head. "You don't have to do that now. I have plans tonight but I can come by tomorrow and help you pack."

Riku nodded. "That sounds great! Well, I'll see you tomorrow."

Katsuya raised her eyebrow. "You're leaving already?"

Riku nodded. "Noah's having a farewell party for me at the HeavyMetal Amazon. I'm late enough as it is."

Katsuya decided to keep quiet that he was going to be there as well; it was more fun to have her be surprised to see him there. He knew that they would go to the gay floor since that seemed like a second home to Noah. "All right. Go, have fun, and we'll get together tomorrow."

Riku nodded and left for the club. Katsuya then turned to the guitarist, who sheepishly asked, "How did…things go?"

Katsuya took off his shirt and started to head for his room. "We're okay now. The two of us and his friends are going to go to the HeavyMetal Amazon. Would you and your date like to come?"

Before Naoki could answer, Tetsuya popped his head into view from under the guitarist. "Sure, we'd love to!"

Katsuya tripped over his own feet and looked back to see if his mind was playing a trick on him. Sure enough, Tetsuya blushed and sheepishly waved from under Naoki. "Hi."

Katsuya raised his eyebrow. "When did this happen?"

Naoki put all his weight on one of his arms and scratched his hair. "Um…right after you and everyone else left. I approached him and he attacked me with a fierce kiss…and one thing led to another."

Katsuya chuckled and went into his room to find a good shirt to wear. "Well, you're welcome to join me at the Amazon."

Both nodded and waited for the door to close before pulling up their pants. They figured that their outfits that they had on was good enough for the club; they were wearing the same outfits that they wore on the night that Kaiba and Katsuya first met. Once fully dressed again, they cuddled with each other while waiting for the blond. He emerged from his room wearing a black, skin-tight shirt. Naoki looked up and asked, "Should I call Kaiyuki and Toya to join us?"

Katsuya shrugged as he headed to the door. "You can if you want. I'll see you there."

Tetsuya wanted to stop his friend but Naoki hugged him from behind, making him silent and blushing. "Don't worry about him. He's on Cloud Nine."

Once at the club, Katsuya quickly made his way to the elevators on the other side of the ground floor. Remembering his mistake last time, he made the decision to get into the right elevator this time. On his way, he noticed that _Death Becomes Me_ was performing on the stage, currently playing their hit 'Painful Yearning.' He waved to Aya and, to his surprise, she waved back. As he went on, he was surprised to see Riku and Noah in the front row. He assumed that they only stayed on the first floor because _Death Becomes Me_ was there. When he finally got to the elevators, he headed for the lines but a bouncer stopped him. Because Aya and her band were so loud, the bouncer could only talk to Katsuya with gestures and other movements. He pulled the blond to the elevator and gently pushed him into the gay elevator ahead of everyone who was already waiting to get on. Relishing in this exclusiveness, he grinned and waited for the elevator to bring him up to the desired floor.

A few seconds later, the door opened and Katsuya made his way onto the gay floor. His immediate reaction was that he was still hearing Aya's singing voice coming from the speakers. But his attention changed when he realized that he had to locate his friends and Kaiba. He tried to jump as high as he could to see but that proved to be unfruitful. Suddenly, out of nowhere, someone came up behind the blond and lifted him up on the unknown's shoulders. He gave a surprise yelp until he noticed that it was Toya holding him up. He smiled at his friend and then started to look for familiar faces.

He immediately noticed the people on the eight-foot tall speakers; they were either go-go dancers or dancers that had come to the club. One speaker had two boys dressed all in black and had their head and faces covered with a hoodie. One farther speaker sported Kevin, dressed as an angel go-go dancer, and Seth dancing. As 'Yearning' started to play over the speakers, Katsuya noticed his three band members at the bar. Kaiyuki was giving a drunken flirt the cold shoulder while Tetsuya and Naoki were very blatantly making out with each other. Katsuya laughed about how open they were about their new relationship and then went to look for _Rage Inside_.

Sean was easy to spot on the edge of the bar, drinking a beer and letting off a warning aura to everyone around him: he did not want to be picked up by any of the horny gay guys around him. After a few more looking around, Katsuya spotted Andrew and Brandon dancing near a nearby speaker. Even with the florescent lights, Katsuya could tell that Andrew was drunk and laughed at the drummer. But he had trouble finding his lover. He looked down at Toya and shrugged his shoulders. Sensing what the singer was telling him, Toya looked around and pointed to the center of the bar. Katsuya looked and lit up. Kaiba was there, leaning on the bar and facing the club, with a black, half-buttoned shirt. Seto purred at the sight of his chest but then soured when he saw that Serenity standing next to him. Toya looked up. "You want to get down?"

Katsuya nodded and waited for Toya to bend down enough to let the singer on the ground. The blond then started to push his way towards the bar. He caught the eye of some of the men who were there hoping to get lucky. Katsuya ignored them and soon made it to the bar. He made a beeline to Kaiba and hugged his arm. Unfortunately for Serenity, the arm that he hugged was the one that she was closest to. She cleared her throat, seemingly forgetting that he would not be able to hear her. She then tapped the blond's arm, getting his attention. "Do you mind? You've had him all this time! Can't I have him for a little while?

Katsuya stuck out his tongue and shook his head. "Uh uh! He's mine now!"

Kaiba rolled his eyes and took off his shirt, making both Katsuya and Serenity blush deeply and get stars in their eyes. "I'm out of here!" He then jumped down into the mass of guys and headed into the middle of the crowd. Katsuya giggled and tried to go after the brunette but Serenity stopped him. "Don't forget what I said about the wedding tomorrow!"

While this was another test, Katsuya did not know that and glared at her. "Oh really? And how much do you know about his past?"

Serenity raised her eyebrow and answered very truthfully. "He was adopted because his parents died and then lived in a foster home for some unknown reason! He refuses to tell me what happened! Why?"

Katsuya smirked at her answer. He knew everything that happened to Kaiba and she didn't, despite her claiming that she loved him and that he wanted to marry her. "Indeed!" He then jumped down to the dance floor and started to make his way to Kaiba. Sean came over and stood next to Serenity. "You're losing him; I hope you know that!"

Serenity smiled. "Maybe! It depends on how Seto reacts to what the blond will do when he gets over there!"

Ignoring those around him, Katsuya finally made his way to Kaiba, who was already starting to sweat from the tight quarters and body heat surrounding him. Katsuya shuddered with delight and sauntered over to the taller brunette just as the song 'Motive' was starting over the speakers; Katsuya was secretly very happy that _Death Becomes Me_ was performing live; it made the dances more fun because the songs were live and no one outside the band knew what song would play next. "May I have this dance?"

Kaiba looked at the blond; while he could not hear his voice, he could read lips and knew what Katsuya was saying. The brunette smirked, deciding to play it coy, and kept dancing. Katsuya would have normally been upset with what Kaiba was doing but he saw the smirk and knew the game that was being played. Knowing that two could play in the game, Katsuya decided to play his own hand.

He lifted his shirt and hooked it behind his neck, making sure that his arms were still in the sleeves. He then started to dance in a very seductive way in an attempt to get Kaiba to dance with him. He slowly rotated his hips in a circle and used his arms to touch his body. His left hand was rubbing his chest while his right played with his hair and head. Evident by all the stares he was getting, he was looking extremely sexy and turning on the surrounding men around him. Kaiba was noticing the blond's dances but took his time in approaching Katsuya. He had decided to play hard to get just to tease the smaller male.

In the middle of the song, a man with black hair decided to approach Katsuya first. He went up behind Katsuya and started to grind his hips. Katsuya felt odd to dance with someone that he did not know. On the other hand, it was a good way to make the brunette jealous. With that in mind, Katsuya leaned his head back, pretending to enjoy the dance he was in. Kaiba watched the two men and pretended to not care.

But the man started to get bold and reached his hand around. It soon made its way to the blond's crotch. Katsuya's eyes snapped open and Kaiba's narrowed to glares. He made his way to the blond and started to dance with Katsuya's front. Katsuya giggled and responded earnestly to Kaiba. The other man thought that they would be a threesome but Kaiba gently pushed him away and gave him a warning glare to stay away. The man got the message and left to find someone else to dance with. Katsuya giggled, knowing that he had won this small battle.

Thankfully, Aya's speaking voice came over the speaker before another man could attempt to dance with the blond. While she was speaking, Seto put his arm around the smaller male, both claiming him and protecting him from the horny men around them. He then pointed to the speakers and the two males listened to Aya. "This final song tonight is dedicated to two guys who, despite walls and painful secrets, have overcome all odds in order to proclaim their love for each other. Puppy, dragon, this song is for you; may you be together for the rest of your lives."

As everyone on both levels applauded and cheered, Kaiba leaned in and explained, "Aya came up with those nicknames for us, saying that I'm tough like a dragon and you're loyal like a puppy."

Katsuya giggled and hugged the taller man's neck. "Loyal only to you."

Kaiba let the words soak up into his mind as a familiar song on the piano sounded over the speakers. Katsuya immediately teared up for he recognized the song. The song was called 'Uncontainable Romance' and the lyrics spoke of a person being deeply in love with another person but is questioning whether he or she deserved to love the loved one. Like 'Love Beyond the Bounds of Time,' the song spoke of his feelings for Kaiba perfectly. All around them, the men were pairing off either with their lover or the person they hooked up with. On their speakers, Seth and Kevin cuddled with each other while the black-clothed guys watched the dancers on the floor. Tetsuya and Naoki continued to making out with each other, not having a care in the world. Feeling out of their comfort zone, Andrew and Brandon joined Kaiyuki, Toya, Sean, and Serenity at the bar and watched Kaiba and Katsuya. When the piano changed tempo, Kaiba looked at Katsuya and held out his hand. "May I have this dance?"

Katsuya took the hand and smiled. "You have to ask?" As Aya started to sing, Katsuya got close to the brunette, making their chests press against each other, and wrapped his arms around the taller male's back. Thanks to the music being gentler and not as loud, they would be able to talk to each other without shouting. Kaiba looked down at the smaller singer. "You're stupid, you know?"

Katsuya chuckled as they started to slowly dance like a couple dancing at the prom. "Oh, really? And why is that?"

Kaiba smirked. "Because I was dumb enough to tell you everything about my past…and you were stupid enough to stick around a murderer and rape victim like me."

Katsuya smiled. "Well, you are who you are and that person is the one I fell in love with. Nothing in your past can scare me enough to make me stay away from you."

Kaiba looked down at the smaller male. "Oh really? Are you sure of that?"

Katsuya nodded. "Absolutely. The person you are now is a person who overcame all that trauma. That's something to be proud of."

Seto slightly shrugged with his head. "I suppose so…but I'm also proud of you."

Katsuya stopped dancing for a few seconds. He could not believe what he just heard. He never imagined that he would hear those words coming out of the brunette. "Wh-What did you say?"

Seto rolled his eyes. "Did you lose your mind when you heard my life story?"

Katsuya shook his head. "N-No. I'm just…surprised to hear you say that."

Kaiba chuckled. "Well, it is true. I am proud of you."

Hearing the statement again made the blond become curious. "Really? What are you proud of?"

"Well, you managed to get a musical career and keep it despite you being an amateur."

Katsuya laughed. "Well, there are those who sing worse and last much longer than the good ones."

Kaiba had to agree and then continued on with his explanation. "You went through a pretend traumatic experience and brushed it off like it was as annoying as a pesky fly. You're able to defend yourself against Kyoto and his band."

Katsuya nodded vigorously. "I have to! Someone needs to look after you. Who knows what he might do next."

Kaiba shook his head. "They'll leave us alone now that they know I'm in contact with Matthews." Katsuya slightly blushed because he noted that Kaiba said "leave us alone" instead of "leave me alone." Katsuya's mind raced at the number of possibilities that statement presented. Momentarily distracted, Kaiba flicked the blond's forehead. "Pay attention."

Katsuya blushed. "Sorry."

Kaiba nodded and repeated what he said seconds before. "But, above all…I'm proud of you for what you did to me."

Katsuya tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

Kaiba then did something that the blond had convinced himself that the brunette would never do. Seto Kaiba gave a genuine smile to the smaller male. Katsuya melted at the sight of the smile as Kaiba said softly, "You tore down my walls…and made me fall for you."

An unexpected tear fell from the blond's eye. "You…you love me?"

Kaiba nodded and wiped the tear away. "I do…very much."

In the back of the blond's mind, he noted that the song was taking its signature tempo change with Aya singing about a rain-like baptism. Katsuya knew how to make the moment perfect. He reached up and kissed Kaiba deeply. Kaiba wrapped his arms tighter around the smaller male and gave the kiss back just as deepening. To accompany the song's words, the club let out a rain of glitter paper. Kaiba and Katsuya took no notice; like Tetsuya and Naoki, they were lost in their own world. Watching from the bar, Sean looked at Serenity. "Well, it's over. You lost him forever."

Serenity nodded and wiped her eyes, getting rid of her tears. Whether they were sad or happy tears were known only to Serenity. "I know…I just hope…he's happy."

Brandon looked at the couple, who pulled out of their kiss and kept their foreheads touching. Both their faces were lit up with calm smiles. "Oh, he is. He only smiles when he's in love. Told us that himself."

Serenity nodded and then left but not before telling Andrew, "Tell Seto that I want tickets for both their shows…and that I wish him well." Andrew nodded and wished her well. On the way out, she texted Kaiba, telling her that the wedding was off and that she wished him luck.

Back on the dance floor, Kaiba kissed Katsuya a few more times. He no longer cared that people were watching. "Shall we get out of here…get some privacy?"

Katsuya smiled. "Do you have to ask?"

Kaiba smiled and, taking Katsuya's hand, led the way to the back exit. One of the hooded dancers took off his hoodie, revealing Kyoto with his hair down, making him look even more like a girl. "Where do we go from here?"

Numora pushed back his hoodie enough to reveal his face and hugged his lover/brother. "We go forward, caring only about each other." Kyoto barely nodded.

About an hour later at Kaiba's apartment, Katsuya collapsed on the bed, both exhausted and ecstatic. He had never been on top before and found it was very tiring. On the other hand, though, he remembered that Noah said Kaiba would only let the person he truly loved be on top. He giggled, especially when Kaiba rolled over and pulled the blond close. "So…how did you like that?"

Katsuya giggled. "That should be your answer, lover-boy."

Kaiba laughed softly and kissed Katsuya, making the blond stiff with happiness. While he had slept with Kaiba before, this was different because he knew that the brunette truly loved him back. Breaking for air, Katsuya whispered, "I love you."

Kaiba covered their bodies with his blankets. "And I love you. Now get to bed, mister. You need to be awake tomorrow to help Riku pack."

Katsuya laughed. "Okay but I think she'll sleep in more than me." He then smiled softly. "Good night."

Kaiba stayed awake for a few minutes. He smiled up at the ceiling. "Good night, Mom…Dad…Mokuba." He reached out enough to give his floor the finger. "Keep burning, you bastard." With that, he curled up with the blond and went to sleep.


End file.
